I started building rain barrels a couple of years ago for many reasons. When I first started out, I searched for recycled drums at garage sales. After some serious hunting, I picked up two barrels and then set out to put together all of the bits and pieces required to create a mosquito-free rain barrel.
My first barrel was a simple open screen top with an outlet at the bottom. In my excitement to collect water, I put it out on a rainy evening before I had built an overflow system. I woke up the next morning to find my 55 gallon barrel spilling over onto the patio. I was amazed to see just how much water can be collected from one modest roof – of course my design now includes the (very important) overflow outlet. My home collecting system is 4 barrels large (and counting) – and my original barrel is still part of the mix.
In 2007 I did my first rain barrel workshop, inviting people to my back yard to learn how to build barrels. For not much more than cost of parts, participants went home with a barrel they created themselves. I am continuing this program this year (see events). If everyone in the city had even a small rain barrel, we’d save an enormous amount of water, plus we’d significantly reduce the energy spent treating storm water as if it were sewage. Even if you don’t water plants, a rain barrel is good for your home, your city, and your tax bill. Thanks to Environment Hamilton for helping to spread the word about the workshop program
In 2008 I continued my workshops, and I also sold pre-built barrels, since I understood that many people were too busy to take the time to build their own. Even before the construction stage, sourcing barrels and parts can be time consuming. That’s where I come in!
This year, I am also offering delivery of barrels. I feel very strongly about spreading the rain barrel message, and I understand that transporting these drums can be a real pain – they do not fit easily in a standard car (hatchbacks and larger vehicles can carry one or two just fine).
I started the Twisted Cistern website because I wanted a central information depot for my rain barrel hobby. I also wanted to make it easy for current barrel users to spread the word.
Please note that building rain barrels is a hobby and a passion of mine, and you can find the many reasons for collecting rain on my “Why Collect Rain” page. This is not my occupation – I do this in the small amount of spare time that I find between my two “real jobs”. My barrel prices are set at a reasonable level to cover the cost of materials, plus a little extra to cover the time, effort and fuel spent gathering pieces and building the barrels. The insane prices at big box stores ($90-$120 for a basic barrel) are a large part of my motivation for building barrels. I want rainwater collection to be easy and accessible to everyone.
Thanks for visiting, and please contact me with any questions or concerns!
