Tips from Bluegrass Personal Responsibility In A Desirable Environment on rain barrels:
* Do not drink rainwater.
* Don't allow water to overflow and saturate the ground around a home's foundation. Use an overflow pipe or adjustable diverter to direct water away from homes.
* Put the barrel on cinder block.
* Wooden rain barrels should always contain 3 to 5 gallons of water. This prevents the barrel from drying out and shrinking.
* Shake the rain barrel before using the rainwater. This helps prevent sediment build-up on the bottom of the barrel.
* If the rain barrel is connected to a gutter, install a guard to keep leaves and pine needles out of the rain barrel. Another way to keep debris out is to cover the barrel with a screen.
