08/13/2026
Devon Communities in Bloom is pleased to recognize Stuart Bennett of 81 River Drive for his rain barrel set-up through its Eco-Friendly Love Your Yard! program.
Rain barrels are one of the simplest ways homeowners can conserve water while helping protect the environment. They capture rainwater (that would otherwise rush off roofs), reducing stormwater runoff, minimizing erosion, and lessening the amount of runoff flowing into the river and local creeks. The stored rainwater can be used to nourish gardens, trees, and flower beds during dry spells, reducing the need for treated municipal water. Naturally soft and free of water treatment chemicals such as chlorine and fluoride, rainwater is an excellent choice for watering plants.
Stuart has installed three 170-litre rain barrels, providing a total storage capacity of 510 litres of free rainwater. By capturing and storing rainwater from summer showers, he has a dependable supply for watering plants during dry periods while reducing the use of treated municipal water. It's a simple, practical way to conserve water and make every rainfall count.
Stuart describes his rain barrel setup below:
• I chose the FCMP (Forest City Models and Patterns Ltd.) rectangular rain barrel for several reasons. They are Canadian made, fit close to the wall, occupy less space than round barrels, have a screen at the top to keep debris out, and multiple barrels can easily be connected in a series. Each barrel comes with a debris screen, a connector hose for multiple assemblies, and a hose with a shut-off valve for filling watering cans or draining the barrel.
• Each barrel costs $120, holds 170 litres (37.4 imperial gallons), and weighs 170 kilograms (375 pounds) when full.
• A solid, level base is imperative, and the barrels should be elevated high enough to allow filling of watering cans. To create a solid foundation, I started by removing the grass and topsoil and then added clay and compacted it. I then placed treated 4” x 6” lumber at the bottom, a layer of cinder blocks, another layer of 4” x 6” lumber, and then another layer of cinder blocks with a ¾” plywood platform on the top. These materials may be a little overkill, but I had them on hand and they provided the height I wanted.
• The installation instructions provided by the manufacturer suggest joining multiple barrels by connecting the overflow spigots at the top. This location requires a barrel to be full before any water flows to the adjacent barrel. This causes the weight to be unevenly distributed and could result in tipping. I believe the better option is to connect the barrels using the spigot location at the bottom as this maintains equal water level in all the barrels when filling and draining, distributing weight evenly across the base. I used the extra hoses and some inexpensive nylon pipe fittings from the local hardware store to connect the barrels and the drain hose. I then used one of the upper spigots as an overflow and diverted it to the downspout discharge using an inexpensive flex hose. This arrangement has worked well and eliminates worry about the barrels overflowing in the event of heavy rainfall like we’ve experienced this summer.
• A manual diverter on the downspout allows you to fill the barrels or direct water straight down the downspout when you don’t want water directed to the barrels. The diverter should be moved to the downspout position to prevent water from entering the barrels during periods of freezing temperatures.
• The barrels and hoses should be completely drained to prevent freezing damage before cold temperatures arrive.
Devon Communities in Bloom and the Love Your Yard! program thank Stuart for sharing information about his water barrel set-up and for his efforts to follow the eco-friendly practice of rainwater collection.
