DO RAIN
BARRELS
MAKE
CENTS?
by Yvette Huffman
C
alifornia is known for periods of drought. During these
periods, water conservation is at the forefront of minds,
the topic of discussion, and an agenda item for every
City Council meeting. When the rains finally come, it is
stunning to hear complaints that the rain is annoying and
people wish for days without rain. Should the cessation of a drought
end the discussion about conservation? It shouldn’t but inevitably
people move on to other hot topics.
Capturing rain water in a
container such as a rain barrel might
have been an agenda item during
the recent drought in a community
you manage. Water measurement is
done by San Diego County Water
Aurhority (SDCWA) in hundreds of
cubic feet (HCF) whereas one HCF
is equivalent to 748 gallons. The
current rate at which HCF is billed
in San Diego County is about $4.00.
In order to capture enough rain
water to save money on a water bill,
a single household would require
about 10 rain barrels to equal one
unit, or HCF, for the savings of
$4.00. Now imagine the number
of rain barrels it would take in a
condominium community to make
an impact.
The distribution of water from
a rain barrel becomes another
issue. According to earth911.
com “Dispersion options are more
limited, as sprinklers and long hose
runs typically don’t work well with
rain barrels.” A rain barrel cannot be
connected to the existing irrigation
system (low pressure) so water
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SAN DIEGO COMMUNITY INSIDER
FALL 2019