Switched to a rain barrel and cut my water bill by 30 bucks a month

I live in Portland where it rains half the year, so I figured why not try collecting some of that water for my garden. I got a basic 50 gallon barrel off Craigslist for 20 bucks and hooked it up to my downspout last spring. At first I just used it for my tomato plants, but then I started filling my watering can for everything else too. My July water bill dropped from 85 dollars to 55 dollars just because I stopped using the hose. The barrel pays for itself every couple of months now. Has anyone else tried this with a bigger setup or multiple barrels?

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faith_lopez483mo ago

Wait, you're telling me you actually saved 30 bucks a month just by catching rain water? I thought that was one of those "green living" myths people post about on Instagram but never works in real life. Honestly, I've been too lazy to even look into it because I figured the barrel would just grow mold and attract mosquitoes. But 55 dollars for a water bill in July? That's insane, mine is usually around 90 even with a small yard. How do you keep the barrel from getting gross or freezing in the winter?

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price.alice3mo ago

Drain the barrel completely before the first hard freeze hits or it'll crack like a busted pipe. I read somewhere that tossing a mosquito dunk in there every couple months keeps the larvae from getting started, and it costs like 10 bucks for a whole summer supply. Cover it with a fine mesh screen so leaves and critters stay out and you're basically set with zero maintenance.

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