Rain Barrel Art

EARTH'S WATER SUPPLY

CONSERVATION

Fifth grade students at Concordia Elementary School in San Clemente enjoy the third year their grade has painted and installed rain barrels in their school's butterfly and veggie gardens.

GARDEN ART

In three years, students have recycled 19 rain barrels that may have otherwise ended up in the land fill!

Enthusiasm for the project has spread. Now two more schools in San Clemente are harvesting rainwater and completing projects tied to curriculum.

INSTALLED RAIN BARRELS

These barrels collect water from the roof tops through a diverter off the rain gutter and down spout during the rainy season and students happily fill and refill their watering cans to help water their school garden and watch it grow.

Source: Rain Barrels: A

Homeowners Guide

by Southwest FL Water Management

BARREL PROJECT SUPPLIES

• BARREL - recycled plastic drum (food

quality); search CraigsList for local

suppliers

• DIVERTER - for the downspout (e.g.

www.gardenwatersaver.com); installation

requires tin snips.

• PLUMBING - standard hose bib; if

connecting multiple barrels, use PVC

and flexible plastic tubing from the

hardward store.

• BASE COAT/PRIMER - use spray-on

Krylon Fusion for PLASTIC as the base

coat (with

trigger sprayer

attachment!);

2 coats/2 cans

(painting optional)

• ART - use acrylics for artistic designs

(not washable kid paint) and a clear UV

Krylonspray paint for protection (painting

optional)

• CONCRETE BLOCK BASE - 4 cinder

bocks for independent base; build a wood

lattice base out of 2" x 3" lumber, suggested.