



Tony Poeck, owner of Indra Designs, shows the water pump that is part of a 600-gallon barrel irrigation system at his home in Richmond, Calif., on Tuesday,
Tony Poeck, owner of Indra Designs, shows the water pump that is part of a 600-gallon barrel irrigation system at his home in Richmond, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014. The barrels are filled with rain water filtered by the roof gutters, then it's used for garden irrigation during non raining season. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area New Group) ( RAY CHAVEZ )


For one thing, the East Bay Municipal Utility District doesn't have a rain barrel program. That was surprising: I assumed that local water agencies would be making rain barrels widely available to customers, given the severity of the drought.

"While we too are eager for any rain to fall, I would caution your readers to consider the limited yield that rain barrels offer in our Mediterranean climate," said Abby Figueroa, a spokeswoman for EBMUD, which serves 322,000 homes from Crockett to Berkeley, Oakland and south through the San Ramon Valley. "There is more potential to save water by finding and fixing leaks and making adjustments to irrigation schedules."










"The Bushman Slimline tanks are thin, long and tall -- they are perfect for the urban center," said Poeck.

But they are not cheap: A 130-gallon Bushman Slimline costs $741 at the Urban Farm Store, which has locations in Mill Valley, Richmond and San Francisco. Contractors may be able to get them cheaper, and you can search online to compare pricing.

I realized that I needed to think more about rain barrels -- including where in our small yard to put one and how much it would cost -- before adding more.

Poeck feels strongly that rain barrels are a critical piece of a much larger puzzle. Besides conservation, they raise consciousness. Neighbors see the rain barrel and start to think about water use in a way they haven't before.

"Rain barrels bring an awareness," said Poeck. "Look at your most recent water bill. You probably go through much more than 60 gallons of water in a single day."


rain barrel resources

Interested in getting a rain barrel? Here are some
resources to get you started.
1. The Urban Farmer Store, with locations in Mill Valley, Richmond and San Francisco, sells a variety of rain
barrels in different sizes. Call first to see what they have in stock. www.urbanfarmerstore.com
2. Wholly H20, which aims to raise water conservation consciousness, has information about rain water
collection on its website: www.whollyh2o.org.
3. Indra Designs does water efficient landscaping and design work, largely in the East Bay. www.indradesigns.com
4. Saratoga-based Rainsavers specializes in rain barrels and tanks. www.rainsaversonline.com
5. The American Rainwater Catchment Systems
Association promotes sustainable rainwater harvesting practices at www.arcsa.org.
6. Tanks For Less sells rain barrels online.
7. You can find more water conservation tips at