How is a rain barrel designed and installed?
Location. It needs to go where the water will flow. · At least 10 feet away from building foundations, utilities, and septic systems. · Call Iowa One Call for locations of utilities before you begin digging. · Locate the rain garden downhill from your home so that water flows in the direction of the garden. · Do not install in areas where there is a shallow depth to the water table (when you dig a hole less than 4 feet deep and you find groundwater), or shallow soils over bedrock. Size. Rain gardens are typically 5 to 10 percent the size of the impervious surface generating the runoff entering the garden. Measure the square footage of the impervious area (length x width); then multiply this by 0.07 (7 percent). Determine a length and width of the rain garden that best fits the site. For example, a 2,000 square foot roof, when multiplied by 7 percent, would call for a rain garden 140 square foot in size, or 14 feet long by 10 feet wide. Soil Testing. If it rains, how well will the soil
