Event information: Rain Barrel construction, March 27, Kaufman Hall Basement, Carlisle, PA
On March 27th, members of ALLARM, Dickinson College students, and other members of the community came together to construct 25 rain barrels from a long-awaited shipment picked up not long before. Rain barrels gather and store rain that can be used when water is needed (watering plants, washing cars, etc.) as an alternative to using treated water, and with the added benefits of reducing runoff and managing the amount of rain around the foundation of a home. With the guidance of Lori Glace, Cumberland County Conservation District Watershed Specialist, we all worked together to create a barrel-building construction line. The process began with opening up each of the barrels, rinsing out the old (and very pungent) pickle brine, and leaving them out to drain. Once the barrels were dry, volunteers drilled holes at different levels in each barrel where taps and tubes would be attached, allowing for ease of water retrieval and as an overflow drain for frequent or heavy rainfall events. Then the bravest of us climbed into the barrels to ensure that the pieces we put into the drilled holes would be secure to minimize chances that the barrels would leak in the future. The last step of the process involved taking fine netting and placing it over the opening at the top to prevent anything but water from getting into the barrel.
This was my first experience constructing a rain barrel and… wow! I never knew the amount of effort that went into making one. Regardless of the strong smell of pickle juice in the air, I had so much fun getting a bit messy and working through the whole process with the ALLARMie crew and other volunteers to put them together. Overall, we were able to finish just in time with the supplies we had on hand and I’m excited for them to be distributed to their homes in the future!
Constructing a rain barrel takes teamwork!