Why Rain Barrels?

Rain barrels can be attached to your downspouts to capture runoff from the roof. By installing a rain barrel at your home you will:

Provide your plants with water they will love! Unlike treated water, which is "softened" with dissolved minerals, rain water is naturally soft. The water stored in your rain barrel is better than municipal water for washing your car and watering indoor or outdoor plants.

Save money and water! Instead of water from the tap or faucet, you can use the water you've saved to keep your home landscape happy and growing. You'll also reduce your municipal water bill!

Protect the Chesapeake Bay! Water stored in your rain barrel is water that won't rush off into our streams. Instead, as you use the stored rain water around the home and garden, it will absorb slowly into the ground replenishing groundwater supplies. By decreasing the volume of storm runoff, rain barrels also help moderate stream erosion and the resulting pollution that is impairing the Chesapeake Bay.

Rain Barrel Workshops

Rain barrels purchased from mail order or retail sources can be prohibitively expensive. As part of a regional initiative, the district offers build-your-own rain barrel workshops and distributes low-cost rain barrels to Fairfax County citizens. At the workshops, you will learn how to install and maintain a rain barrel, and take one home!

Upcoming Rain Barrel Programs

Build-your-own workshops

• May 3, 2008, 9 a.m., Hollin Meadows Elementary School, Alexandria (FFX County)
• May 17, 2008, 9 a.m., Maury Elementary School, Alexandria
• May 18, 2008, 10 a.m., City of Falls Church Property Yard, Falls Church
• May 18, 2008, 2 p.m., City of Falls Church Property Yard, Falls Church
• May 31, 2008, 1 p.m., Walker Nature Education Center, Reston
• June 21, 2008, 9:30 a.m., Hidden Oaks Nature Center, Annandale
• July 19, 2008, 10:00 a.m., Walker Nature Education Center, Reston

Distribution Events

• June 14, 2008, 2-5 p.m., City of Falls Church Property Yard, Falls Church
• July 20, 2008, 2-3 p.m., Green Spring Gardens, Alexandria (FFX County)

Download (pdf) a 2008 rain barrel workshop flyer.

Fees & Registration

Registration is required for all programs. The materials fee per barrel is $50 for build-your-own workshops, $60 per barrel for distribution events. Limit: 2 rain barrels per person.  To register on-line, visit http://www.arlingtonenvironment.org/barrel.htm. A $2 surcharge will be charged per barrel for on-line registration. To register by mail, indicate your name, phone number, e-mail address and the date of the workshop you'd like to attend and send checks made out to NVSWCD to:  Rain Barrel Program, Northern Virginia Soil & Water Conservation District, 12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 905, Fairfax, VA 22035. Questions? Contact Taylor Beach at taylor.beach@fairfaxcounty.gov or 703-324-1428, TTY 711.

Rain Barrel FAQs

What do the rain barrels look like and where do you get them?
The rain barrels are made from black or blue plastic barrels that used to hold pickles, peppers or onions. For the workshops, the pickle barrels are recycled into rain barrels.

How large are the rain barrels?
The rain barrels hold approximately 50 gallons. They are 23 inches wide. The range from 41.25 inches to 43.75 inches tall.

Will I get mosquitoes in my rain barrel?
The rain barrels are capped with fiberglass screen that allows water in, but keeps mosquitoes from getting into the barrel to lay their eggs. However, if you are concerned about mosquitoes breeding in your rain barrel, you can add half a Mosquito Dunk to the water in your barrel to kill mosquito larvae. Mosquito Dunks can be purchased at most garden supply stores.

Is the water in the rain barrel safe to use in my vegetable garden?
There are differing opinions on this subject. Rain barrels that collect water from copper roofs or from roofs where wooden shingles or shakes have been treated with CCA (chromated copper arsenate) to prevent moss or algae growth should not be used on edible plants. If you have treated your roof with chemicals or installed zinc strips to prevent moss or algae growth, you should also not use the water in your rain barrel in your vegetable garden. Other considerations include the potential for air pollution in your area. Water flowing from your roof can contain deposited air pollutants. However, this water may end up in your vegetable garden anyway. No matter what you decide, make sure to wash all your garden produce thoroughly before you eat it!

Who is working with the district on the rain barrel program?
The following organizations and agencies: Clean Virginia Waterways, Arlington County, Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment, Fairfax County Public Schools, the City of Alexandria, the City of Falls Church, the Reston Association, Fairfax County Master Gardeners, Fairfax County Park Authority, Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services and numerous individual volunteers!

For 2008-9, this project is funded from the Virginia Water Quality Improvement Fund provided by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), via DCR Grant 2007-WQIF-06.