Rain Barrel Program : Lafayette Utilities System

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Home : Our Environment : Water Conservation : Rain Barrel Program

Rain Barrel Program

Lafayette Utilities System (LUS) and the Lafayette Consolidated Government (LCG) Public Works Department have teamed up to launch their Rain Barrel Program. The purpose of the program is to promote outdoor water conservation and sustainable stormwater management of the Bayou Vermilion Watershed.

What is a Rain Barrel?

A rain barrel is a container used to collect and store rainwater from rooftops at either the downspout or the lowest pitch area of a roof. The water can be used later on your lawn, garden or for other outdoor purposes.

Why use a Rain Barrel?

Saves money on water bills by reducing tap water usage.
Improves water quality by reducing the amount of stormwater runoff and surface water pollutants that enter the Bayou Vermilion watershed. For more information on stormwater runoff visit www.lafayettela.gov/stormwater.
Rainwater provides optimal water for plants because it is naturally soft and devoid of chlorine and other chemicals that may be found in tap water.

Is a Rain Barrel right for me?

A rain barrel can be a wonderful addition to your yard and a useful tool for your outdoor watering needs. A rain barrel is right for you if:

You use a garden hose, soaker hose or watering can. The filled barrel will not provide an adequate amount of pressure to connect to a sprinkler.
You use water for outdoor purposes at least once a week.
The placement of your rain barrel will be in a location that slopes away from your house and neighboring properties.
The area surrounding the rain barrel is a pervious surface that can soak up overflow water.

Rain Barrel Components

The rain barrels being offered are recycled food grade barrels and made up of the following:

Removable Top: Screw top lid with a drilled hole in the center for rain to enter.
Mesh Screen: Attached to the lid to keep out debris and mosquitoes.
Overflow Valve: 3/4 inch sized valve attached to the top of the barrel and used to redirect overflow water.
Drain Valve: Located at the bottom of the barrel and used to attach additional barrels for greater water collection.
Spigot: Allows for access and control of the rainwater.

Specifications:

Capacity: 55 gallons
Diameter: Approx: 21 inches
Height: Approx: 34 inches
Material: Polyethylene (plastic based)
Color: option of black, gray, terra cotta or blue

Additional Information

Download our Rain Barrel Brochure which includes an Installation guide.

About our Program

The LUS/LCG Rain Barrel Program is designed to offer rain barrels to Lafayette Parish residents at a reduced retail cost and make them easily available to our customers for purchase during the beginning of the calendar year.

If you are interested in learning more about the rain barrels we offer in addition to the accessories that are available for purchase through the program, please click here to view our vendor’s webpage.

If you would like to receive updates on next year’s program, please email rainbarrel@lus.org and request to be put on the email mailing list.
Please contact rainbarrel@lus.org with any questions you may have regarding this program.

How to Order

Ordering a rain barrel through the LUS/LCG Rain Barrel program for 2013 is currently closed at this time. Please check back in January of 2014 for information on how to participate in our program.

For those who have purchased a rain barrel through the 2013 program, pick-up information is as follows:

Saturday, March 16, 2013 from 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. at:
The Dean Domingues Compost Facility
400 Dugas Rd. (off of North University Ave)
Lafayette, LA 70507

If you are unable to pick up your rain barrel during this time, please contact rainbarrel@lus.org to schedule another pick up time.