During Friday’s tornado warning – and a driving rain, Rain Brothers delivered the Stoddart Avenue Community Garden's long anticipated rain barrels (which they donated). It was only during a rain storm that I could have discovered that the downspout dedicated to our rain barrels was completely blocked and two inches of rain were flowing over the gutters. We left fixing the blocked downspout to the next morning. However, with the help of a trusty and wide flower pot, I was able to catch enough rain during the storm from the gutter overflow to fill one of the barrels.
The next morning, we discovered that there was just a single piece of errant shingle blocking the downspout and the water came pouring out as soon as it was removed. I added some extra downspout to bridge the gap.
Between Mike, Mari, Alysha and I, we were able to re-configure the rain barrel platform and the rain barrels so that they could fill up from the same downspout. Rain Brothers put two outflow holes on the lead barrel and we had hoses going from it to two other barrels and then another hose from the third barrel to the fourth barrel (as shown in the picture).
Alas, since the barrel I filled with the flower pot turned out to be the lead barrel and we had to lift it to the highest position on the platform, Alysha and I had to empty it in order to lift it. Dwain helped us salvage some of the rain water with a siphon to the second barrel and we tipped some of the water to the third barrel. You can tell from the muddy handprints that it was not a tidy job.
In addition, my rain barrel on the west side of the BTBO offices, was completely full from the downpour and can be used until another rain fills the four new barrels.
Remember to only get water from the rain barrels after 5:00 p.m. during the week and any time during the weekends.
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