Rainwater Harvesting

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Last year, Billy Mitchell Elementary School won a rainbarrel! We were so excited to see how rainwater collected off our hallway roofs could be redirected to our rainbarrel and then used to water our planters next to the kindergarten classes. Parent volunteers assist us in getting the rainbarrel installed so that excess water could easily flow into the barrel. Then we waited....and waited. No rain. It took awhile, but rain finally arrived and filled our rainbarrel to capacity. Once the plants had dried out, it was time to test and harvest our rainwater. Success! There was more than enough and continued to supply our plants for several months. The students enjoyed witnessing the practical use of the harvesting system without ever needing to hit the faucet for more water. Or at least until the next rain came.