About Us

RainBarrel is a small, independent guide to collecting roof rainwater in a barrel and using it in the garden. We write practical, step-by-step guides for homeowners who want to water ornamental beds and lawns with free rainwater instead of tap water — how to choose a barrel, install it, link two barrels together, keep mosquitoes out, and fix the problems that come up.

What We Cover

Everything on this site is about one thing: rain barrels for the garden. Our guides cover getting started, setup and installation, troubleshooting, and equipment. Every article answers one question in plain language, shows the maths where it helps, and ends with a short FAQ. We also built a free rain barrel calculator that works out how many gallons your roof collects per storm and per year, and how many barrels you need to catch it.

What We Do Not Cover

RainBarrel is about non-potable use only: watering ornamental garden beds and lawns, and outdoor cleaning. We do not give drinking-water advice, and nothing on this site will tell you how to make roof runoff safe to drink. The CDC recommends tap or bottled water for plants you plan to eat, and we repeat that wherever it matters.

We are not plumbers, lawyers, or water-quality experts. Our articles are general information based on public sources, manufacturer guidance, and widely published rainwater-harvesting practice. Where a rule or a law is involved — for example, whether rainwater harvesting is allowed in your state or city — we point you to the official source and ask you to check it before you install anything.

How the Site Is Funded

RainBarrel is an independent site. We do not sell barrels, and we do not take payment for recommending a product. If the site ever earns money from advertising, it will be through clearly labelled ads only — never through links disguised as content, and never through a button that pretends to be something else.

Who Writes RainBarrel

RainBarrel is written by a home gardener who collects roof rainwater in barrels at home and learned the subject the slow way: one barrel, one season, one mistake at a time. You can read more on the About the Author page.

Get in Touch

Questions, corrections, or a topic we have missed? Use the Contact page — we read every message and we fix mistakes when readers point them out.