garcia.wren•16d agoProlific Poster

Rain barrels aren't worth the hype in a dry climate like New Mexico

After installing a 55-gallon barrel last spring I got maybe three uses out of it before the monsoons ended, so has anyone else found rain collection to be a total letdown in arid regions?

3 comments

3 Comments

hernandez.gavin16d ago

Wait is it really that big of a deal?

evan_grant7016d agoMost Upvoted

@hernandez.gavin are you serious?? this is literally a massive deal, people have been talking about it for weeks. i can't believe you missed all the drama about how it affects everyone differently. trust me, you don't wanna be the last one to figure this out.

blake_kelly1916d ago

My neighbor Gary put in a 50-gallon barrel two years ago and he ended up using it mostly to water his cactus collection. He swore by those little barrel cacti you see at the hardware store, said they needed maybe a cup of water every two weeks. After one decent rain he'd have enough water stored to last him through November, but then the next spring came and nothing happened for months. He finally just unhooked the whole thing and used it as a planter for some drought-resistant succulents. I think the problem is these barrel makers advertise them like you're going to save the world, but in a place like Albuquerque they're more of a hobby than a solution.