Your water bill in Southborough is based on usage, so saving water can mean saving money. And since the average homeowner uses approximately 40% of their water for outdoor use, a good way to save water is to use a rain barrel.
Thanks to a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Southborough residents can get rain barrels at a discount for a limited time. The first 20 residents to order can get a 55-gallon barrel for $62.95, almost 50% off the retail price of $119.95. Subsequent barrels will be priced at $72.95 each.
But you need to act fast. Orders will be accepted through April 24 by calling the New England Rain Barrel Company at 877-977-3135, or by ordering online. Barrels will be available for pickup on May 2 at the Transfer Station.
Here are some more details about the rain barrels:
The rain barrels are made from 55 gallon blue plastic recycled containers. The top does not come off, so no children or pets can get in the barrel. It has a six inch diameter inlet opening covered with a screened louver to keep insects and debris out. The barrels have 2 brass spigots; one to allow you to connect a hose for watering, and one for overflow. You can connect a hose to the overflow spigot and redirect the water away from your home. It even comes with a 5 foot hose with a shutoff valve. You can join multiple barrels for additional capacity.
Just a plug for these rainbarrells. We got one last year from my husbands work, and were amazed at how much water it collects in a short amount of time. Even a small rainshower of 10 minutes can fill it up, and to think all that water could have just caused puddles. We use it exclusively for all of our outdoor plant watering and love it!