The average American family uses 320 gallons of water per day, about 30 percent of which is devoted to outdoor uses. More than half of that outdoor water is used for watering lawns and gardens. Nationwide, landscape irrigation is estimated to account for nearly one-third of all residential water use, totaling nearly 9 billion gallons per day. - EPA

Rain barrels capture water from a roof and hold it for later use such as on lawns, gardens, and indoor plants. According to the EPA, rain barrels can save the average homeowner 1300 gallons of water per year.

Collecting roof runoff in rain barrels reduces the amount of water that flows from your property, reducing stormwater pollution.

It is a great way to conserve water and its free water for use in your landscape. 

The Campbell County Extension Service in conjunction with the City of Newport sponsored free rain barrel giveaways targeting urban residences to promote water conservation in our county. These events occurred at the Newport Public Works Facility on 7/23/22 and 3/17/23 and 150 residences received rain barrels. Installation, use, and winterization instructions were provided by the Extension Agent for Natural Resources and Environmental Management.

Homeowners completed Qualtrics surveys. Each residence collected and used at least 118 gallons of rainwater to irrigate their yards and gardens.

The City of Highland Heights requested the same program at their 4/27/24 Earth Day Celebration. 50 residences in that city received rain barrels and the relevant educational information from the Extension Agent. They will report their collection and utilization efforts in the fall of 2024.