15/08/2023
Why Rain Barrels?
Rain barrels are used to collect and store rainfall from rooftops for irrigation and other outdoor purposes. They minimize the need for treated, municipally provided water, saving money and energy. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that a rain barrel may save up to 1,300 gallons of water per year for the average American household. That's about 86 showers, 92 loads of laundry, or 812 toilet flushes. Rain barrels also help prevent runoff pollution by collecting rainwater that would otherwise go untreated and enter streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans carrying fertilizer, oil, pesticides, bacteria, and other pollutants picked up as it travels via streets, storm drains, and ditches. This polluted water can harm aquatic life, contaminate drinking water sources, and contribute to flooding. Rain barrels provide practical benefits and have the potential to make a impact on the environment by conserving water.
Design
To produce a functioning design, our members had to meet and discuss potential challenges, as well as come up with solutions to these concerns. Our barrels have the following features: 1. A hole cut out on the side of the barrel towards the top to allow overflow once the barrel is full. 2. We placed a mesh screen beneath each barrel's lid to keep solids out of the water. 3. To minimize evaporation and directly funnel water into the barrels, we installed downspouts to the rain gutters on the school's roof, which led into a hole cut out of the barrel's lid. This allows the barrels to be filled as quickly and efficiently as possible. 4. To make the spigots accessible, we placed the barrels on top of wood boxes.
Rain Barrel Project Team
Mariano Alberto, Jeanelle Bacat, Alec Le Baut, Bryce Bedgood, Jordan Cardenas, Connor Chang, Jacob Gertler, Anthony Grigorian, Dillon Hicks, Luke Huey, Daniel Huiza, Evan Kang, Adam Meldrum, Max Meldrum, Nick Ramirez, Jaeda Rajpibul, Tianna Torres, Tessa Littlefield, Diego Silva, Jeremiah Suh, Ethan Sushinsky, and Ms. Hayes.
