Rain Barrel Rebate Program Now Underway!

The City of San Diego now has a great rebate program for homeowners who choose to install rain barrels or cisterns!  Go to their website here to apply for the rebates or learn more about the program.

Bushman Systems Slimline Rain Tank

"Landscapes can soak up more than 50% of the water used at a typical San Diego home. Capturing rain from your roof is a quick way to conserve water and help prevent pollution by reducing the amount of runoff entering our storm drain system. City of San Diego (City) Public Utilities residential customers that are served by an individual water meter can receive a cash-back rebate when purchasing and installing a rain barrel and connecting it to the home’s rain gutter downspout. Read below to understand the program requirements and application process. Rebates will be distributed on a first-come, first served basis and funding is limited, so be sure to check this website regularly to determine funding availability. Read through the guidelines (PDF) prior to filling out an application (PDF)."

Rain barrels, cisterns, retention basins and other rainwater retention practices help to reduce water pollution and in some instances flooding by reducing the amount of rainwater that enters the stormwater system during a rain event.  They also provide our gardens with much needed natural rainfall that is much healthier for plants than our highly saline imported water (plus it's free!).

Ah Spring!

Just watered my in my new spring plantings with my Rain Vessel!! Squash, strawberries, and herbs!  Loving that recycled rainwater and especially loving that I have an attractive way to save it!

Visit Rain Vessels Blog for more info and to get one for your yard!!   Also check out our website for more info on why saving rainwater is so important!!

Vessels In Rain

Our partner company, Artemisia Landscape Design, is branching out and will be unveiling their new Rain Vessels later this month. Rain water cachement is an ancient method to collect and save rain water for later use and is coming into more popular use with our water crisis. Rain Vessels provide an artistic and aesthetically pleasing alternative to plastic rain barrels and will be available through Courtyard Pottery in the Cedros Design District in Solana Beach.

1" of rain over 1,ooo sqare feet of roof area can yield 6oo gallons of water. Collecting this water for future use not only reduces runoff pollution during rainstorms but saves on water bills when the garden becomes dry. The chlorine free water saved in smaller Rain Vessels can be used as an alternative to tap water for indoor and potted plants as well as a variety of other garden and home uses. Larger cachment systems can irrigate entire landscapes.

I've found them to be incredibly handy myself for keeping water on-hand for all of the potted plants in my patio area, instead of having to haul the hose around knocking over pots and creating a mess. Even after the rainwater has been used you can re-fill it with hose-water, pretty quickly the chlorine in the city water will evaporate and you are left with much healthier water for your plants!