Rain Barrels

Boy Scout Michael Frank recently installed a rain barrel at the River Forest Village Hall as part of his Eagle Scout Service Project. The rain barrel collects rainwater from the downspout above and stores it for future use. The rain barrels for this project are modified food-grade plastic barrels, thus recycled after their original use for transporting peppers and other vegetables.

Rain barrels are key to water conservation efforts and the water stored can be used for watering plants, cleaning gardening tools, supplying fountain water, wiping off debris on outdoor furniture, or any other purpose where non-potable water is an option. By using rainwater, treated tap water is conserved. In addition, rain barrels reduce soil erosion by controlling water flow from the downspout during a rainstorm.

A model rain barrel is also on display inside the Village Hall.

Click here to see a brochure about the rain barrel.