More great ideas to
conserve water in
& around your house
• Water your lawn less frequently, but deeply
...only water during early morning or early
evening hours to minimize evaporative loss
• Use native plants for landscaping. Most can
withstand drought better than exotic species
• Use a broom instead of a waterhose to clean
sidewalks and driveways
• Cover your swimming pool when it’s not in use to
significantly reduce the loss of water due to
evaporation
• Replace your regular shower head with a low
flow model
• Spread sand rather than salt on sidewalks and
driveways to increase traction on winter ice
• Keep a bottle of drinking water in the fridge
rather than running the tap to get cold water
every time you want a drink
• Be sure to turn off the tap when you brush
your teeth
Rain Barrel Water
Conservation Project
is brought to you by:
The City of Windsor, Windsor Utilities
Commission and the Essex Region
Conservation Authority are working together
to conserve water, reduce runoff into our
lakes and streams, reduce sewage
overflows and protect the sources of our
drinking water, all while saving you money!
Consider making a rain barrel part of your
household water conservation project!
For more information or to learn more about
this and other environmental improvement
project, please contact us!
Rain Barrels
Conserving Water...
Conserving Dollars
City of Windsor
Dial 311
Essex Region Conservation Authority
519-776-5209
Windsor Utilities Commission
• Leave grass clippings on your lawn instead of
raking them and let your lawn grow a little
longer (5-8 cm or 2-3 in) to conserve moisture
• Never apply pesticides or fertilizers to your
lawn where they may run off into a body of
water. Better yet, try organic gardening
and lawn care!
Did you know?...Less than ½ of
rainfall collected off your roof can fill
a 200 litre (50 gallon) rain barrel !
www.wuc.on.ca
Thank you!
Your support is greatly appreciated!
Funding support generously provided by:
Printed on FSC recommended paper
with environmentally friendly inks
Essex Region
Conservation
Authority
How Does Rain Affect
Our Environment?
WET WEATHER FLOW is precipitation that is
collected from roofs, driveways, lawns, parking
lots, and roads.
This either flows into natural water courses
such as ditches and streams ending up in
wetlands and lakes, or flows into a storm
drainage system which may flow into the local
sewage treatment facility. Rain water that runs
off roof tops picks up pollutants such as tar,
pesticides, herbicides, oil, gasoline, and E.coli
from animal waste on the way to the storm
drain on the road, which flows untreated into
the sources of our drinking water. Preventing
the excess run-off can help stop water pollution
at the source. Water that doesn’t flow to a
natural waterway ends up at your local sewage
treatment plant. Preventing this rain water from
going there can help reduce the chances of the
local sewage treatment plant from overflowing
and spilling into a natural watercourse during
heavy rains.
A Rain Barrel Can...
• Reduce the chance
of sewage plants from
becoming overloaded
and spilling into natural
water courses
• Reduce the amount of
pesticides, herbicides, salt, oil and gasoline
being washed into storm drains and into our
natural waterways
• Reduce erosion
• Improve fish & wildlife habitat!
Benefits to the
Home Owner
& to their Gardens
Rain Barrels
• Save money!
...during peak summer
months one rain barrel
can collect 5700 litres
(1300 gal) of water!
Lawn & garden
watering make up
nearly 40% of total
household water use
during the summer...
collect and save water to
be used when you need it
most - in between rainfalls and
during periods of drought
• Water can be
used to wash
pets, vehicles
and windows,
water the
garden, and
much more
• Gardens respond well to fresh water collected
during rainfall because it is soft water - free of
chlorine, lime and calcium
…perfect for keeping
plants healthy and
happy!
• Collecting rain water
helps control moisture
levels around the
foundation of the
house and helps
reduce the risk of basement flooding
Using Your Rain Barrel
Properly
• Barrels are easy to set up and can be placed
directly under the downspout.
• Rain barrels are fitted with a screen that
prevents debris or
mosquitoes from
getting into the water
• You can hook up
barrels in a series to
maximize the amout
of water you capture
for use
• Your rain barrel could
be fitted with an additional faucet to allow overflow
to be redirected
• Soaker hoses are perfect for hooking up to
overflow tubing to creating a trickle system
where rainwater is gently dispersed into the
ground
• Clean the screen on top of your rain barrel
regularly so it collects water properly.
• Ensure the inside of your rain barrel is free of
debris.
Left: A local
home owner
uses his rain
barrel to help
keep his
pond full