Switched to a rain barrel 8 months ago and my garden bill is way down

I hooked up a 50 gallon rain barrel off my downspout back in March for like $60 from the hardware store. I live in Portland where it rains like crazy half the year, so I figured why let all that water just run into the street. My city water bill for June through September used to be around $80 a month just for watering my veggie patch and flowers. This summer my water bill was only $35 a month on average because I barely used the hose. The barrel filled up in one good storm and lasted me almost two weeks of dry weather. The only catch is you need to keep the mesh screen clean so mosquitoes don't breed in there. Has anyone else tried this and noticed a difference on their utility bill?

3 comments

3 Comments

michael_green4415d ago

Guess I'll be first in line to borrow your hose when mine goes dry.

max_brown14d agoTop Commenter

Is it just me or does every neighborhood have that one person who's secretly building a backup utility empire in their garage? You show up with an empty hose and suddenly you're in some underground network of favor trading. Next thing you know, you're helping them move a couch just to keep the water flowing.

claire_young7613d ago

Honestly, this hits close to home. In my experience, the trick is to start a small group chat with like 4 neighbors who are actually reliable. You don't need the whole street knowing your business. Keep it simple: one person has the generator, another has a spare water pump, someone else has an extra fridge for storage. Then you set up a "no cash, just favors" rule. That way if you borrow a hose, you're not expected to help move furniture unless you really want to. Your mileage may vary, but having a tiny circle is way better than getting roped into that underground network.