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Moving to a New Climate: What to Know About Rainwater Harvesting in Your New Region

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A person jumping in water puddle

Moving to a new climate brings both exciting opportunities and challenges.

One important aspect to consider is rainwater harvesting, especially as rainfall patterns can differ greatly between regions. By collecting and storing rainwater, households can reduce water bills, lessen dependence on municipal sources, and promote sustainable living.

The process involves setting up gutters and a modular rainwater collection system, which can be easily customized to any climate or garden size. This DIY-friendly system requires minimal maintenance, offering an efficient and sustainable solution. Understanding local rainfall trends and choosing the right system ensures you get the most out of your rainwater harvest.

Adapting to the local weather and using a modular rainwater harvesting system can be an effective strategy for managing water resources in your new home.

Assessing the Rainfall Patterns in Your New Region

Assessing the rainfall patterns in your new region is key to setting up an effective rainwater harvesting system.

In wetter regions, frequent rainfall makes it easier to collect water year-round. Smaller rain barrel systems fill and recharge as a reliable source of irrigation water. In drier climates, rain is less frequent, which makes storing water all the more important from a water conservation perspective. In drier climates, larger barrel or tank systems are heavy-hitters for ensuring sustainability and water supply between expected rains.

Modular rainwater collection systems offer a flexible solution, allowing you to scale up or down depending on the amount of rainfall and your garden’s needs.

By checking local rainfall data, available through many online tools; and measuring your roof's harvesting potential using a simple rainwater calculator; you can assess how much water you can realistically collect.

Adapting your modular system to match local rainfall patterns ensures efficient collection and maximizes storage potential. With the right planning, you can make the most of the natural water resources available in your new region, all while keeping your system simple and DIY-friendly.

A man holding an orange umbrella on rainy urban sidewalk.
Understanding local rainfall patterns helps you plan your harvesting system accordingly.

Choosing the Right Rainwater Harvesting System for Your New Home

Selecting the right rainwater harvesting system depends on your region's climate and rainfall patterns. In wetter areas, a simple barrel system may be all you need to collect water year-round. In drier climates, you can still use a modular system that can be easily expanded by adding barrels as needed, offering a flexible solution that adapts to your water collection needs. When choosing your system, consider factors like roof size, available space, and your garden's irrigation needs.

Gutter systems also play a role in how much water you can collect, so make sure they are properly installed and maintained. As you move to a new climate, adjusting your approach to rainwater harvesting can be easy with the right system. Modular, DIY-friendly systems allow you to customize your setup to match your climate, making installation and upkeep both simple and cost-effective.

Sustainability and Broader Environmental Practices

Rainwater harvesting is an important part of a larger sustainable living strategy. To make your relocation more responsible, you should focus on how to have an eco-friendly move. In addition to rainwater collection for garden irrigation, consider other simple steps, such as recycling, composting, and choosing energy-efficient appliances, which align with your goal of conserving water and reducing waste. Using renewable energy sources and gravity-fed drip irrigation in your new home can also complement your water-saving efforts.

By combining rainwater harvesting with these straightforward, eco-friendly practices, you can create a more sustainable lifestyle without the need for complex systems or heavy investments. As you adjust to your new climate, think about how these simple changes can conserve resources and help support a healthier planet. Every small action contributes to an eco-conscious home, benefiting both you and your local environment.

Rain rolling off roofline
Even in dry climates, a single rainfall can provide hundreds or thousands of gallons of high-quality irrigation water.

Regional Restrictions and Regulations on Rainwater Harvesting

Before installing a rainwater harvesting system, it’s important to check your region’s regulations. Rainwater harvesting is legal all over the USA, but in limited cases, such as Colorado, there is a limitation on size. 

Contrary to popular belief, many cities, counties, and water districts offer rebates and incentives to encourage rainwater harvesting for its environmental and financial benefits. Search local rain barrel rebates, or this nationwide directory for financial incentives.

Modular rainwater harvesting systems with customizable barrel designs are typically not subject to the same restrictions as large-scale systems, making them a great choice. These systems are flexible and can be adjusted to your needs, often without requiring permits or complex paperwork.

With the right knowledge, you can confidently install a modular rainwater system that benefits both your garden and the environment, without the worry of facing fines or penalties.

Maintenance and Upkeep of Your Rainwater Harvesting System

Maintaining your modular rainwater harvesting system is straightforward and simpler than you might think.

Regular cleaning of gutters ensures that rainwater flows freely into your barrels. Since the modular system is simple and customizable, it’s easy to check for any debris buildup in the barrels or downspouts. During dry seasons or in areas with high dust or pollen, a quick inspection every few months will ensure smooth operation. With its easy-to-use design, this system requires minimal maintenance—perfect for DIY-ers.

By setting up a simple inspection schedule for key components, you can keep your system running efficiently year-round without a lot of hassle. Regular upkeep helps extend the lifespan of your system, ensuring it continues to provide water for your garden without complicated maintenance tasks.

Terra cotta tile rooftop
Combine rainwater harvesting with other sustainable practices for a greener, more eco-friendly lifestyle.

Moving to a New Climate: Adapting Your Water Management Strategies

Adapting your water management strategy is essential when moving to a new climate. Rainfall patterns and water availability can vary greatly depending on your location. For example, transitioning from a wet region to a dry one will require you to rethink your water usage and storage needs.

Start by assessing how much water your garden typically uses and compare it to the rainfall in your area. With this in mind, adjusting your rainwater harvesting system to fit the new conditions ensures that your water needs are met.

For instance, a modular, multi-barrel system is customizable for any size setup. Whether you need a small system or a larger one for more extensive storage, the flexible design ensures it’s easy to set up and maintain. Storing water helps make you resilient in future weather shifts—such as long-term droughts or wetter seasons—can help you remain flexible and prepared. Taking these steps will give you peace of mind in your new environment.

4-barrel BlueBarrel Rainwater Catchment System
Photo Source: BlueBarrel Rainwater Catchment Systems

Embrace Sustainable Water Solutions in Your New Home

Moving to a new climate offers an opportunity to embrace sustainable water management through rainwater harvesting. By understanding local rainfall patterns, choosing the right system, and integrating eco-friendly practices, you can make your move more responsible. Adopting these strategies helps conserve water and resources, benefiting both your home and the environment.

Environmental Benefits of Rainwater Harvesting
Best Roofing for Your Region

DIY Files: David’s BlueBarrel Rainwater Catchment System®—From Rooftop to Veggies, Winterization & More!

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David Jacobson with his BlueBarrel Rainwater Catchment System

This highlight comes from BlueBarrel customer David Jacobson, in Austin, TX.

David used our DIY RainKit® to install a 4-barrel BlueBarrel Rainwater Catchment System® under his deck. He then used our Add-On Kit to add four more barrels, for a total of eight barrels irrigating his vegetable garden. 

He used our website to customize for his site, including extra downspout connections, inlet hose extensions, and double-rows of barrels. He also shares some of his own customizations for painting his leaf eater, winterization, and adding a Wi-Fi controlled timer to automate his gravity-fed drip irrigation system.

Enjoy photos and videos of David's project, and read on to get inspired by our DIY highlight of the season!

Customize your BlueBarrel System® now!

Starting Small

BlueBarrel Rainwater Catchment System
Elevated BlueBarrel Rainwater Catchment System

David started with a 4-Barrel RainKit® with the intention of doubling the size of his system later. He built a custom raised foundation for extra elevation, with room for a total of eight barrels.

Says David: I wanted to share photos of my new Blue Barrel Rainwater Catchment System. It is under my deck, next to my vegetable garden. Because I live on a slope, I wanted my barrels to be slightly higher than the highest point of my garden. So, I designed and built a custom rack made of heavy gauge structural steel, capable of carrying the one-ton weight of my four barrels, and a 2nd row of four barrels in the future. I also plan to use the under-shelf as a seedling greenhouse. The water is collected from the downspout off the roof above my deck.

Downspout Details

BlueBarrel System with Double Downspout Diverters

David installed the double-diverter with RainRouter Selector Valve configuration featured in BlueBarrel's Creative Twists article, inspired by another customer, Erik, in California.

To span the extra distance between downspout and barrels, David used Longer Inlet Hose, sold by-the-foot in our Online Store.

Next Came the Leaf Eater

Rain Harvesting Leaf Eater, Painted

The Leaf Eater is our most popular accessory, providing a robust, stainless-steel pre-filter for water entering rain barrels. As recommended, David installed it in an accessible location so he can easily reach the pull-tab to shake off the screen when needed. He also gave it a nice paint job to complement the color of his trim.

With the mature trees on David's site, the Leaf Eater was definitely a good choice.

Says David: Here is my newly installed Leaf Eater. It is installed at my deck level where I can easily access the filter, while also being well above my diverters. You might also see my dog, Thor, in the pic. 🙂

Leaf Eater for Rain Barrels

Enjoy this short video showing David's Leaf Eater in action:

Click here for a playlist of videos featuring the Leaf Eater and other popular accessories.

Winterization

Rain Barrel Winterization

Since BlueBarrel serves customers all over the USA, we recommend different winterization techniques for different climate zones.

David used standard pipe insulation for Austin's fairly mild winters. A nice, insulated cinch-bag covers his outlet for easy access to the valve.

Pipe heating cable on BlueBarrel Rainwater Catchment System
Pipe heating cable under pipe insulation

David then decided to add a plug-in pipe heating cable, as extra insurance against an unexpected cold snap.

David explains: With the recent low temperatures, I experienced some icing in my wrapped pipes and decided to upgrade my winterization with an inexpensive heating cable, specifically designed to heat pipes; it comes with its own built-in thermostat. Seems to be working, and should work nicely as long as I have power.

Expanding the System With BlueBarrel's Add-On Kit

BlueBarrel Add-On Kit turns 4-barrel to 8-barrel system.
BlueBarrel Rainwater Catchment System with insulated pipes
As planned, once he had gotten a feel for all the features of his BlueBarrel System, David returned to BlueBarrel's Online Store to order an Add-On Kit (which he customized for four barrels) along with a Muti-Row Connection so he could configure his addition into double rows.
In his words: I just finished connecting my additional four barrels using BlueBarrel's Add-On Kit, and Multi-Row Connector! My original four barrels were almost full when I started. It was pretty cool to watch my Tank Gauge equalize down to halfway when I opened the cross-connect valve, telling me I had doubled my capacity to 440 gallons! Expecting rain this week, we’ll see how long it takes to fill it back up again. Done with our frigid cold snap a week ago, but I winterized everything anyways just in case we get another winter front before spring.

Automating a Gravity-Fed Drip Irrigation System

BlueBarrel Rainwater Catchment System with pump
Lastly, David added a remote-control valve so that he can operate his gravity-fed irrigation system remotely. Please note, while BlueBarrel does sell a no-pressure irrigation timer to automate frequency and duration for your gravity-fed irrigation cycle, we do not sell or support remote control Wi-Fi products. For customers also interested in experimenting with remote-control Wi-Fi solutions, we offer David's discovery.
David shares: I ended up getting this motorized ball valve because it’s already neatly wired for 110V. It works beautifully, and has a very large opening. I paired it with this outdoor WiFi smart plug (there are LOTS of brands of these of course). Connected to the smart plug, I can open and shut it remotely, schedule it via Google Home or Amazon Alexa or Apple Home; do advanced scheduling like sunset and sunrise, etc. I think it’s going to work nicely.

Enjoying the Fruits

BlueBarrel Rainwater Catchment System in vegetable Garden
Veggie garden irrigated with rainwater

David's fenced-in garden area is protected from browsers—a perfect place to grow vegetables to feed the household.

Notice the blue barrels peeking out from under the deck, holding high quality irrigation water for this garden, and situated just high enough to water with with a gravity-fed drip irrigation system.

Tomatoes with irrigation line
pepper plants with gravity-fed irrigation

See the drip irrigation line running through these tomato and pepper plants. Gravity does the work to keep the soil hydrated, and the plants happy.

David used our Drip Irrigation Kit for Gravity Feed with Bubbler Emitters, but also ordered some predrilled emitterline (a.k.a. inline emitters) separately for a perfect mix-and-match to service this garden. All of these kits and parts are available in our Online Store.

vegetables watered with rainwater
Nice work, David, and enjoy your bountiful harvest!

READY TO GET STARTED?

Is Rainwater Safe for Veggies and Edible Gardens? Sustainable Irrigation You Can Trust

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Is rain barrel water safe for vegetable gardens? Here’s what you need to know:

At BlueBarrel, we hear this question all the time: Is it safe to irrigate my vegetable garden with rainwater from the roof, stored in barrels?

The short answer: Yes, generally it is—and it’s a smart, sustainable move for your garden and your water bill.

Let’s walk through why using rainwater for vegetables is not only considered safe, but also beneficial.

Plants Filter Water Differently Than We Do

Plants don’t “drink” water the way people do. When you irrigate with rain barrel water, the plants pull moisture through their roots, but what reaches the edible part of the plant is essentially clean water. Most contaminants (if any) remain in the soil or rinse off the leaves.

In addition to pure water (H₂O), plants also have some ability to uptake dissolved nutrients and minerals, like nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. You may know these as NPK, the macro-nutrients provided in fertilizer. As one of nature's great gifts, rainwater contains nitrates from the atmosphere, the bio-available form of nitrogen.

So while the water in your rain barrel may not be suitable for drinking, it’s not only safe, but also beneficial for watering edible plants.

Your Garden Gets the Same Water When It Rains

One of the biggest myths we hear is that roof runoff is dirtier than what naturally lands on your garden. But here’s the truth:

Everything that falls on your rooftop is also falling directly onto your garden. What ends up in your rain barrel is already concentrating on your garden during every storm.

Collecting rainwater from the roof just gives you a way to save it for later. In fact, roof-harvested water often contains nutrients that plants love, like nitrogen from the atmosphere, and organic goodies like pollen and leaf litter.

7-Barrel Rainwater System

UC Davis plant pathologist, Mike Davis, boasts his BlueBarrel Rainwater Catchment System®, painted to match the house. His terra cotta clay tile roof is perfectly safe for harvest. Mike's extensive vegetable garden and fruit trees love the water!

Farmers Use Far “Dirtier” Water—Safely

Large farms routinely irrigate crops using untreated surface water from rivers, ponds, and canals. Agricultural water is far from pristine, yet it’s widely accepted and regulated for food production.

Think trench irrigation, or "purple pipe" irrigation. Purple pipe water refers to recycled water that gets treated for non-potable uses like irrigation. The purple color distinguishes these irrigation pipes from those carrying drinking water.

In comparison to agricultural water, rain barrel water from a residential rooftop is often much cleaner.

trench irrigation

Storage Can Improve Water Quality

Contrary to popular belief, storing water in barrels doesn’t make it more dangerous—it can actually help.

A closed system like the BlueBarrel Rainwater Catchment System® filters out debris through code-required 16th" mesh. Our tight-head, UV-resistant, food-grade barrels prevent algae growth completely (algae needs sunlight to grow).

Smaller particulates either flush through our bottom-draining design to fertilize your plants (rather than collecting on the bottom, as they would in more standard rain barrel designs); or stick to the barrel walls, forming what's called a biofilm.

Biofilm is a self-managing layer that hosts a beneficial biology, creating a light composting effect inside your barrels. This is why they say irrigating from rain barrels is like a light application for fertilizer each time you water!

While it was once a standard recommendation to scrub rain barrels out once per year, ARCSA removed that recommendation from published maintenance schedules in light of research about the benefits of a natural biofilm inside of a rain barrel.

For extra peace of mind, we recommend installing a leaf eater as a more robust pre-filter. It's one of the most popular accessories in our online store!

Washing Produce is Always Smart

Whether you grow your own or buy from the store, washing fruits and vegetables before eating is a standard best practice. It helps remove soil, dust, or any particles that might have stuck to the surface during growing, watering, or handling—rainwater or otherwise.

Rainwater is Better for Plants—and the Planet

Here’s something else to consider:

Rainwater is naturally soft and free of the salts, chlorine, and other chemicals that are common in municipal tap water. It is also free of the earth elements (minerals and metals) that are in well water. This makes it gentler on plant roots and better for soil health—especially important for organic gardeners.

Using rainwater also reduces demand on potable supplies and supports a more self-sufficient, climate-resilient lifestyle. Win-win.

How to Do It Right with BlueBarrel

Our DIY RainKit® makes safe, sustainable rainwater harvesting easy. Built with repurposed food-grade barrels, the BlueBarrel Rainwater Catchment System® keeps your water clean, contained, and accessible—perfect for veggie gardens, fruit trees, container beds, and more.

Want to go the extra mile? Add gravity-fed drip irrigation to deliver water right where your plants need it, reducing splash, and with it, pathogens that may end up on the surface of your plants.

Rain barrel water safe for vegetable gardens

This BlueBarrel Rainwater Catchment System® irrigates a community garden in Windsor, California. The leafy greens in the foreground love the light application natural fertilizer that's delivered with every flush of rainwater.

What About Harmful Contaminants, Like Lead?

In most cases, rooftop rainwater is considered safe for irrigating edibles, but certain conditions could introduce contaminants that are worth knowing about—especially if you're growing food for young children or those with compromised immunity.

The main contaminants that may be uptaken by edible plants—particularly into leafy greens or root vegetables—include:

  • Lead (Pb): Can leach from old lead-based paints or solder on older metal roofs and gutters.

  • Cadmium (Cd): May be present in industrial air pollution that settles on rooftops, or in galvanized metal.

  • Zinc (Zn): Galvanized roofing may release excess zinc, which can build up in soil over time.

  • Copper (Cu): Often from copper gutters or downspouts—copper is essential in small amounts, but toxic in excess.

  • PAHs (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons): Formed from combustion and may accumulate on roofs near roadways or urban areas.

Keep in mind, if these environmental toxins are present in your neighborhood in concerning concentrations, you may not want to grow a vegetable garden at this time.

As for roofing materials, you can be cautious by making sure your roof and gutter system are updated to current standards, and don't concentrate any of these elements into your stored water.

If you have copper gutters—these are not common, as they are quite expensive, but sometimes an aesthetic choice in upscale neighborhoods—water may not spend enough time in them to create a problem, especially if they are pitched correctly for proper drainage. Keep in mind you can always paint the inner-course of your gutters with a protective enamel that will prevent any leaching. Galvanized roofing can also be coated with enamel for rainwater harvesting.

If you have ash settling on your rooftop due to industrial activity or wildfires, disconnect your rain barrels until the burn cycle has passed, and rainfall has washed your roof naturally.

tomato plants are safe to water with rainwater

Fruiting plants like tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, melons, and of course fruit trees, uptake pure water into the fruiting part of the plant. If you have any concerns about environmental toxins, use your rainwater on these guys!

When in Doubt, Test Your Water

If you believe your stored rainwater may have contaminants in it that are unsafe for irrigation, send a sample to a local lab, or buy a home test kit.

If you want to be extra cautious—especially in urban areas, near highways, or with older buildings—you can:

  1. Test your rainwater or soil. Labs can screen for heavy metals, pH, and other potential contaminants.

  2. Avoid collecting from certain roofs. For example, wood-shake roofs treated with chemicals or those with flaking lead-based paint may not be good candidates.

  3. Prioritize fruiting crops. Tomatoes, squash, peppers, and tree fruits uptake fewer contaminants than leafy greens or root vegetables.

Most importantly, remember that these contaminants are the exception, not the rule. When you collect and store it properly, rainwater from residential rooftops is widely used and trusted for home food production. This is true throughout history, and around the world.

In Summary

Yes, rain barrel water is safe for irrigating vegetable gardens and other edibles, as long as you follow best practices like using a well-designed rain barrel system and rinsing your produce before eating.

When you collect roof runoff using a system like BlueBarrel’s, you’re not only saving water—you’re creating a healthier garden, a lighter footprint, and a smarter, self-sustainable way to grow.

Rain Diverters, Leaf Eaters, and First Flush (Oh my!)

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As a rain barrel company, we answer lots of questions about rain diverters for barrels, tanks and cisterns. Just how do you get water from your roof downspout into a rainwater storage system, anyway?

If you need a basic primer, click the button for our beginner's guide, Demystifying the Downspout Diverter:

Related Post: Demystifying the Downspout Diverter

This article covers next-level techniques for pre-filtering rainwater to keep your rain barrels and rain tanks muck-free. 

Read on to learn about leaf eaters (a.k.a. debris excluders), why they are more effective than first flush diverters, and how to upgrade your leaf eater with a fitted hood.

The suite of products featured below simplifies rainwater collection, filtering it on the way into your tanks for cleaner storage.

Jesse demos the Hood Upgrade for Leaf Eater (above).

Read on for details about the Leaf Eater and compatible Rain Diverters.

Start with BlueBarrel's standard Downspout Diverter

For any rain barrel system, we recommend a flexible-fit, rubberized downspout diverter, available in three sizes in our online store.

The diverter head intercepts rainwater from the downspout and redirects it into your rain barrels or tanks. When barrels are full, the diverter redirects excess flow down the existing downspout automatically.

For more about the downspout diverter, click here.

Next, add a Leaf Eater

a downspout diverter
Our standard diverter connected to a downspout (with a Leaf Eater installed above it). Photo courtesy of BlueBarrel customer Jan K. in Lanesville, IN.

Leaf Eater vs. First Flush

The Leaf Eater (a.k.a. debris excluder) is the most popular accessory we sell, available in our online store. It is a robust, stainless-steel pre-filter that is easy to install. Put this piece a few inches above your rain diverter to keep leaves, insects, roof gravel and more out of your barrels.

Maintenance is easy, too. Simply pop the screen off using the pull-tab, and shake it off as needed.

Many folks ask us about first flush diverters. We find the Leaf Eater to be a much simpler and more effective method for pre-filtering rainwater. Click the button to learn why:

Related Post: First Flush vs. Leaf Eater for filtering rainwater
TWO DOWNSPOUTS
This (beige-painted) BlueBarrel System taps into two downspouts for a faster fill. Leaf Eaters are circled, above each rain diverter. Photo courtesy of BlueBarrel customer Erik D. in Moreno Valley, CA.
double diverter set up
This is another system at Erik's place. He used a second diverter to capture overflow from the first. The RainRouter Selector valve on the second diverter allows him to direct water away from his rain barrels if he wants.

What if My Downspouts are Not Compatible?

We carry diverter kits for 2" x 3" and 3" x 4" rectangular downspouts, and round downspouts between 3" and 4" in diameter. This covers most standard residential and industrial sizes.

Do you have a different size, or maybe a completely different roof drainage system like rain chains or scuppers? The Leaf Eater can be used as an adapter for any kind of downspout. 

Leaf Eater as Adapter

A Leaf Eater is a standard upgrade to any rainwater system, and is highly recommended for keeping leaves, mosquitoes, and other debris out of your rain barrels or tanks in any case. Also known as a debris excluder, it is one of our most popular accessories. 

leaf eater as adpater options
Non-standard downspouts? Simply direct your roofwater onto a Leaf Eater to adapt!

The great thing about the leaf eater is it adapts to any of the standard sizes listed above—round or rectangular! Installation, while simple, does require a clean cut to the downspout. So you can replace the lower segment of your downspout with a compatible material, and install your Downspout Diverter as normal.  

The "leaf eater-as-adapter" solution is so versatile, it doesn't matter what's going on "upstream" of the leaf eater, as long as you can funnel water onto the screen in one way or another. 

Leaf eater with spacer
This photo is from David J. in Austin, TX. He shows us how to use a simple spacer if your downspout doesn't run flush against your wall or post. Nice paint job, too!

This suite of products makes rainwater collection easy, filtering it on the way into your tanks for cleaner storage.

Are you ready to set up your own system? Step through our online planning tools to customize a rainwater system for your place, and contact us with questions. We're here to help!

 

Article by Jesse Savou, MA Ecological Design, ARCSA/ACCE Certified Rainwater Harvesting Professional. Graphics by Olivia Loughrey, MS Ecological Design. Photos contributed by BlueBarrel customers all over the USA!

Related Post: Demystifying the Downspout Diverter
Related Post: How to Measure Downspouts for a Diverter
READY TO START? Customize Your BlueBarrel System® Now!

Virtual Garden Tour: See a BlueBarrel System Demo

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Join us on the Eco-Friendly (Virtual) Garden Tour:

Thinking of adding a BlueBarrel Rainwater Catchment System® to your landscape? Curious about the ins and outs of a harvesting rain on your property? This video—part of an eco-friendly virtual garden tour series—is a great opportunity to view a live demo of a BlueBarrel System. Jesse will show you around her home garden and explain the process (fairly simple) and benefits (many!) of rainwater harvesting.

Three separate rain barrel systems collect from the downspouts of the 1,350 square foot home in this residential neighborhood. These include: an interconnected 3-barrel system, 7-barrel system, and 8-barrel system. This amounts to a total of 18 barrels and 990 gallons of water storage tucked discreetly along the sides of the house. And with continual drawdown and recharge during the rainy season, the total water savings is substantial. Jesse estimates it is upwards of 3,000 gallons annually, especially when there are dry-stretches between rainstorms.

virtual garden tour: bluebarrel near house
vegatable garden

Ready to get started?

Beginners can get started with just a few barrels and add on gradually. You can surprise yourself with just how much water is available when prepared to collect it, even in drought years. You will get over 600 gallons of high-quality irrigation water with every single inch of rain falling on a 1,000 square-foot roof surface. It's easy to size and site your System, and our easy-to-follow instructions and videos make this a great project for DIY-ers looking to conserve water in the landscape. Plus, your plants will thank you!

Take the Full Virtual Garden Tour!

Many thanks to the Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership for producing the 2021 Eco-Friendly Garden Tour with 14 high-quality virtual tour-stops! This tour features gardens in northern California, but many of the eco-friendly gardening techniques (ahem, rainwater harvesting!) are universal. Join us from wherever you are, at your convenience!

Visit the BlueBarrel Tour Stop
Take the Full Virtual Garden Tour

NEW! BlueBarrel now offers Gift Certificates!

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Give the gift of BlueBarrel!

Perfect for the sustainability buff, green-thumb gardener or daring DIY-er in your life. With highly customizable product offerings, as the gifter you can take the guess-work out by giving a Gift Certificate, redeemable against any purchase in our online store.

Click here to see what our Gift Certificates look like. 

Customize a Gift Certificate:

A printable Gift Certificate will be emailed to you after receipt of payment.

  • Name of the person purchasing the Gift Certificate.
  • We will use this email for the payment transaction. Then we'll send a Gift Certificate that you can print or forward.
  • Enter your phone number if you would like to pay by phone (optional).
  • Enter the name of the recipient, as you'd like it to appear on the Gift Certificate.
  • Enter the name of the gifter, as you'd like it to appear on the Gift Certificate.
  • Enter the gift amount in US Dollars.

This form will not charge you. After you submit, we will collect payment based on the preference you indicated. A team member will email you a printable Gift Certificate after payment is received. Gift Certificates are non-refundable once issued.