UPDATE!  These rain barrels were a wonderful addition last year!  We had good rainfall and both remained nearly full the entire summer.  I did not use the garden hose, NOT ONE TIME, for watering!  When winter came, I had to open the valves so that the water would pass through and not freeze the faucets on them.  Need to figure out a way to ‘bypass the bypass’ so that the water will drain back down the original path and away from the house.

Thunderstorms coming in tonight to both test and help fill our new rain barrels!

Got two 50-gallon rain barrels installed on the downspouts.  Not anywhere near the amount I’ll want or need but it is a start.

Hoping to eventually get a large cistern for this end of the house where the basement walk-out area is and then placing the smaller ones on the other end by our driveway.

And while it will take over 300 fillings of each to start saving dollars out of my pocket due to sunk costs on the barrel and downspout redirect, the savings to Mother Earth are enormous.

Every time a barrel fills, that’s 50 gallons less of pumped and chemical filled water being delivered to my door.  Also, by getting the pre-made enclosed barrels, we won’t be adding to the summer mosquito problems.

Note to self: Re-level them after a few rains (very clay soil) and then plant some perennials around the bases to help seat them in and to beautify!