Rain Harvesting and Rain Barrel Educational Tools

rain barrel before installation Welcome! This site provides links to the rainwater harvesting tools developed by the Business Waste Reduction Assistance Program at the University of Toledo under the guidance of Ohio EPA Environmental Education Fund. This site also provides links to some other rainwater harvesting tools available on the internet.

Learning Objectives – Rain Water Harvesting and Storm Water Runoff Minimization

Overview: College students will learn about rain harvesting and stormwater runoff minimization. This module covers stormwater minimization, rain harvesting design, and rain barrel system implementation. Students also learned how to install rain barrels at 10 local households and businesses and about rain barrel installation, benefits, and maintenance. Below are the six learning objectives for the one-week online module:

Define rainwater harvesting, rain gardens, and rain barrels from an engineering standpoint.
Identify engineering systems for rainwater harvesting and stormwater runoff minimization.
Identify end uses for harvested rainwater.
Quantify the environmental, economic, and social benefits of a household rain barrel, including cost-benefit analysis, environmental impacts, life cycle assessment (LCA) for the material acquisition/manufacturing, use, and end-of-life stages, public utility impacts, and food generation potential.
Determine the optimal specifications (size and location) for a rain barrel installed at an average household in Northwest Ohio and perform a cost-benefit analysis for the installation considering installation costs versus cost reductions.
Understand the installation aspects of rain barrels in Northwest Ohio for homes and businesses via a hands-on installation project.