If there is enough rain in Texas and Arizona for flooding, why don't people put out barrels or other containers to catch the water?

Question

You can easily buy 55 gallon water barrels on line. Why don't people buy them to catch any rainwater they can to use when it is needed? It would be like your own little reservoir. Just put the lid on when it's full. Compared to bottled it isn't that expensive and has a one time cost.

MCheetah · Accepted Answer

Rain barrels also usually require complicated plumping and installation in order to work properly and can't just be used as big buckets.

If there is enough rain in Texas and Arizona for flooding, why don't people put out barrels or other containers to catch the water?

Either way, this is mostly a homeowners thing. Not everyone is a homeowner and the few who are probably don't have houses or yards big enough to make this work. And the upper middle class people who do, probably don't care about collecting rainwater. A solution that would help only a few select people.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

In some Western states rainwater collection is illegal. The idea is that you are “stealing” rainwater that would have gone into the groundwater and rivers for other people. Chances are good you’re not going to have some county inspector or cop hassle you about it, but it’s technically illegal in a few states.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Putting out barrels won't stop any kind of flooding. People where I live have something similar. For a period of time it was mandatory for new homes to have something attached to your home to catch the rain water but they never stopped the flooding.

Massageman · Answer

In our area, tap water is about 0.85¢ per gallon, or $8.50 for 1,000 gallons. 55-gallon barrels run $55-70 here, and we would save about 46¢ per full barrel of captured water. Figuring an average cost of $60 per barrel, I would have to use a touch over 130 barrels of water to recoup my cost of the barrels. At one point I DID have two barrels, so I HAVE witnessed- and used- both sides of the equation. The hassle just wasn't worth it.

andreasderjuengere · Answer

Those who don't do it can be found at Walmart in the toilet paper section :)

There's plenty of them.

But I have faith that a few ''Americans'' are bright enough to think about rain barrels or underground cisterns.

jshm2 · Answer

Because that shit is not all for human consumption! Rain in populated areas is little better than toilet water for all the crap that is absorbed in it.

Likes2drive · Answer

You would have to treat the water because of pollution it’s a bit acidic and need a funnel system to catch more of it, they do that in Jamaica for water and other countries with their roof

Zolly99999 · Answer

Rain barrels  . I know lots of people that use them up here.

Charliefretz329 · Answer

Some people do just that. It’s necessary to understand your unique environment

NathanDavis · Answer

it is illegal... lol

TonyV · Answer

It's illegal for some reason, don't know why

888theGreat · Answer

Squitos and their babies

msc545 · Answer

Rainwater is polluted now

If there is enough rain in Texas and Arizona for flooding, why don't people put out barrels or other containers to catch the water?

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If there is enough rain in Texas and Arizona for flooding, why don't people put out barrels or other containers to catch the water?

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