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Water Sense
Urban Water Sustainability Council


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS



What do the barrels come with?
1 piece barrels (colors: white or blue) come with a 3” adapter that attaches directly to your downspout (if you have a larger downspout, downsizers can be purchased at any hardware store) a spigot that will fit any normal size garden hose, an overflow spout, and a mesh sack that can be placed on your downspout to catch debris so it does not collect in the barrel.

How do I know what style of barrel I'm going to get?
The majority of the barrels we sell are the one piece white or blue barrels.

How many gallons of water does the barrel hold?
The MMSD rain barrels hold 55 gallons of water.

What type of hose can I attach to the overflow to direct water away from the barrel?
A standard black corrugated sump pump hose fits the overflow perfectly.

What type of hose can I attach to the spigot?
Any standard garden hose will work.

How can I increase the water pressure coming out of the barrel?
We recommend elevating the rain barrel on a few patio pavers or concrete blocks to get it a few inches off the ground thus increasing the water pressure. 

How do I cut my downspout?
Please visit the "Installation" section for installation instructions.

What is the purpose of the produce bag attached to the one piece rain barrel?
The produce bag works great as a screen for catching debris before it falls in the barrel.  You can simply attach the bag to 1 of 2 places:
  1. Place the bag over the 3” adapter at the top of the barrel, and then place your downspout into the adapter –or-
  2. Place the bag over the end of your downspout and then insert the downspout into the adapter at the top of the barrel.

Do the barrels attract mosquitoes?
 We have not had any complaints to date of mosquitoes breeding in the water of the barrels.

Can I paint my rain barrel?
 Yes, and if you do--please email us pictures of the painted barrels for us to post on our web site.  Visit the "How to Paint" section of our site for painting instructions.

How do I get a rain barrel?
Please click the "Where to Buy" link for MMSD rain barrel retailers to pick up your rain barrel.

How do I winterize the barrel?
 To prevent your barrel from cracking in the winter, we recommend that you either disconnect the barrel from your downspout and turn it upside down for the winter, or store the barrel in a garage or basement. Make sure you reconnect your downspout to temporary tubing to move rain or melting snow away from your foundation. We recommend that you run downspouts or tubing at least 6 to 10 feet away from your house.

How do I reconnect my downspout after I have disconnected my rain barrel for the winter?
We recommend that you purchase a flexible downspout from your local hardware store and simply affix that to the downspout on your home. These flexible downspouts come in a variety of lengths.