v>EPA

United States

How Can I Make a

Environmental Protectior
Agency

August 2009

Rain Barrel?

Environmental Assessment & Innovation Division
EPA Region 3, Philadelphia, PA

A rain barrel is a system that collects and stores rain-
water from your roof that would otherwise be lost to
runoff and diverted to storm drains and streams. Usually
a rain barrel is composed of a 55 gallon drum, a vinyl
hose, PVC couplings, a screen grate to keep debris and
insects out, and other off-the-shelf items. A rain barrel is
relatively simple and inexpensive to construct.

Materials

•	1-55 gallon polyethylene plastic barrel (may be
available for free or low cost from commercial car
washes, bottling companies or other food businesses
that use liquids.)

•	1-10 foot length of 2 inch PVC pipe

•	1-2 inch PVC elbow

•	1-2 inch female threaded by 2 inch PVC elbow

•	1-2 inch male threaded by 2 inch pipe adapter

•	1 - tube silicone sealer/cement

•	1-1/2 inch female threaded silcock (aka outdoor
faucet or hose bib)

•	1-1/2 inch threaded bushing

•	1-1/2 inch female threaded socket

•	1 - roll teflon tape

•	1-1 foot by 2 foot piece of old or new screen fabric

•	1 - 1 gallon plastic bucket, tub or flowerpot

•	4 - cinder blocks

•	Optional - paint to match your house color
Tools

•	Jig Saw

•	Power Drill with 3/4 inch Spade Bit

•	Scissors

•	Pipe Wrench and Pump Pliers

•	Screw Driver

•	Hack Saw

•	Tape Measure and Level

Step 1 - Inflow - Cut a hole in the top of barrel to
allow rainwater to enter the barrel and to access the
inside of the barrel. The hole should be just large
enough to snugly fit the 1 gallon plastic bucket, tub
or flowerpot. The bucket will be used to support a
screen to keep mosquitoes and debris out. Cut a 3/4
inch hole in the bucket.

Step 2 - Spigot - Drill a 3/4 inch hole close to
bottom of the 55 gallon barrel. (Don't drill the hole
too far down inside the barrel where you can't reach
it from the access hole on top or else you may need
the help of a friend with very long arms!) Put teflon
tape on the 1/2 inch bushing and thread it into the
silcock or hose bib. Now carefully thread the other
end of bushing into the 3/4 inch hole in bottom of
barrel. It should fit snugly in the hole and cut threads
in the plastic as you screw it in. Now unscrew it
from the barrel, apply teflon tape to the threads of
the bushing and apply silicone to the outside of the
flange on the silcock. Screw it back into the hole and
into a 1/2 inch socket on the inside of the barrel.

Step 3 - Down Spout Modification - Prepare the
area under the down spout where you want to install
the rain barrel. Remove the old down spout and
splash block and level the area where the barrel will
sit. Place the concrete blocks so they are sloped
slightly downward away from the house. Set the
barrel on the blocks. With a hacksaw cut the down
spout so it is just long enough to fit into the bucket
on top of the rain barrel.

Step 4 - Overflow - You should provide an
overflow for water if the barrel fills to the top. With
a jig saw, cut a hole in the side of the barrel large
enough to fit the 2 inch male threaded by 2 inch pipe
adapter. Place this fitting inside the barrel and thread
it into the 2 inch female threaded by 2 inch PVC
elbow on the outside of the barrel. Seal with
silicone. Cut a length of 2 inch PVC pipe long
enough to reach the ground. Attach a 2 inch PVC
elbow to the bottom of this pipe and cut another
length of 2 inch pipe to connect to a splash block.


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