About the Author

Hi, I’m Ritika — the home gardener behind RainBarrel. I collect roof rainwater in barrels at home — one barrel, one season, one mistake at a time.

How This Site Started

I started with a single 55-gallon barrel under one downspout, mainly to keep the flower beds watered through dry weeks without running the tap. The first barrel overflowed in the wrong direction, the second summer brought mosquitoes, and the first winter nearly cracked a barrel that was left full. Each problem became a guide on this site, written the way I wished someone had explained it at the start: plain language, the maths shown, and the mistake named so the reader does not repeat it.

What I Believe

Three things shape every article on RainBarrel. First, a rain barrel is a water-saving tool before it is a money-saving tool — the honest payback is measured in years, not weeks. Second, barrel water is for ornamental beds, lawns, and outdoor cleaning only, never for drinking. Third, the best system is the one you actually maintain: a clean barrel on a level stand beats a big tank nobody looks after.

What I Am Not

I’m not a plumber, a lawyer, or a water-quality expert, and I don’t pretend to be one. Where a question needs a professional — a plumbing change, a local rule, a permit — the articles say so and point to the official source. Corrections from readers are welcome and are fixed when they are right.

Get in Touch

Questions, corrections, or a topic the site has missed? Use the Contact page. Every message is read by me.