Rain Barrel Roof Runoff

Many roofs are asphalt which are loaded with tar zinc and anti fungal agents.

Rain barrel roof runoff.

If you re thinking about buying a rain barrel look for one with a first flush feature which stores the first five to 10 gallons. Gardeners often collect water in a rain barrel with little to no protection from the roof s first flush of runoff. I was looking around and found that of the research that has been done when it comes to rain barrels and other catchments that the water coming off the roof is dangerous. For metal roofs the galvanized kind are prone to release of the heavy metal zinc.

Rain barrels rain barrels make collecting roof runoff convenient. The first flush water is the initial rainwater that drains off an impervious surface such as a driveway parking lot or roof and has been shown to have the highest levels of contaminants. Rain barrels capture water from a roof and hold it for later use such as on lawns gardens or indoor plants. For sample purposes a 55 gallon barrel will be used.

The system outlined below will walk you through the steps of determining your rain barrel sizes based on average roof runoff. The problem is that there has been little direct research using runoff to water edibles and checking them for contamination. As rain barrels proliferate and climate change squeezes summer water supplies there s certain to be increasing interest in using roof runoff to grow vegetables and fruits.