Creating design concepts that protect the environment

Rain barrel diagram

Rain Barrels
A Rain Barrel harvests

the rain that falls on your roof. You can then use that rain water to water your garden or to wash your windows or car!

Did you know?

lawn and garden watering

make up nearly 40% of total household water use during the summer? Using a rain barrel properly will reduce your water and sewer bills. The use of a rain barrel also aids in slowing down the storm water and helps to prevent flooding and water pollution

Overland Flow
As urban and suburban

development occurs, and land surfaces are converted from pervious (permeable) soils to impervious parking lots, roads, and rooftops, infiltration decreases and overland flow feeds streams. Unfortunately, overland flow rinses potential contaminants including automobile oil and gas and other chemicals directly into streams and bypasses the natural filtration capacity of soils.

Benefits of Rain Barrels

Conserve precious water Help prevent non-point

source pollution Improve groundwater quality Help prevent erosion Help prevent flooding Attractive landscape feature Save money on water and sewer bills Provide soft water for plants

Steps to creating a rain barrel

Assemble the barrel Sand, coat, and prime the

barrel Create a design idea/theme for the barrel using a template and mock container Draw the design onto the barrel Paint barrel with latex, acrylic, or house paints Coat the barrel with polyurethane spray to make it water/scratch resistant.

First Steps!!!
Think about things you would

miss about nature, environment, the river system, etc. if pollution were to cause major destruction upon it. Create imagery that relates to activities, animals, botanicals, etc. that relate to the idea in mind. Think about your local surroundings. Draw images onto the 8.5x11 paper you have been given and use a 2liter bottle/round object to see how design translates