Also known as water butts in the UK and rainwater tanks in many parts of the United States, rain barrels are water containers wherein rain water from rooftops is collected and stored. This water usually passes through rain gutters that are installed on roofs. Similar storage containers also known as rainwater tanks are mainly used to collect harvested rain. Rain barrels sometimes draw their water from patios made of concrete, driveways, and other types of non porous surfaces.

Rain barrels are used in many ways, the most common of which is storing rain water that can be used later on when needed. They can also be used to lessen mains water consumption, which can have significant beneficial effects on the economy as well as the environment. Of course being able to store rain water also results in a certain measure of self sufficiency, since doing so will allow you to be less dependent on mains water to some degree, depending on how much water you consume on a regular basis.

The water that is stored in the rain barrels can be used in many ways, among them for watering the garden and other agricultural applications, for use in the home (particularly for the bathroom), in washing machines, for cleaning cars, and depending on how clean it is, as drinking water. This is particularly helpful when there is an unavailability of your regular water supply, or if the water in your area is either costly or poor quality. This is one of the main reasons why rain barrels can often be seen in areas with arid climates, wherein water is collected during the rainy season and used later when water is scarce. When used for drinking however, water in rain barrels has to be filtered and otherwise protected from any type of contaminants.

Some rain barrels can be a bit expensive, but their many uses means that they will pay for themselves in the long run. Some homeowners have even been known to use small rain barrels that have a correspondingly smaller capacity. Rain barrels can even be fashioned from food containers that have been recycled, transport barrels, and even barrels used in the production of wine and whiskey. These rain barrels are usually very cheap. It is important to make sure however that these rain barrels are sealed tightly so as to prevent mosquitoes from entering them. Even if it seems that mosquitoes are not able to enter, rain barrels can still be a breeding ground for mosquito larvae if there is no proper filtering in place.