Rain Barrel Program

League City promotes the rain barrel program for water smart conservation. The barrels are 50-gallon capacity, mosquito resistant, locking child-proof lid, and include an overflow hose attachment. They are used for harvesting rainwater, which helps protect rivers and streams from runoff pollution. They also help supplement the water supply by using rainwater to irrigate gardens and landscapes.Rain Barrel

Interested in the Rain Barrel Program

Here’s how to purchase a barrel:

  • Rain barrels will be available for purchase starting on Monday, March 13, 2023 until Friday, May 26, 2023 at 11 p.m. directly through the program’s website.
  • Purchases may be made by credit or debit card.
  • Normal retail purchase for rain barrels is $193.99,
    but the City is offering a special promotion of $77 per barrel.
  • The City will have a limited number of rain barrels available for the public on a first-come, first-serve basis. Residents are encouraged to pre-order their
    rain barrels since supplies are limited.
  • The rain barrels will be available for pick-up on Saturday, June 3, 2023 from 9 a.m. to noon at the League City Public Works Operation Center, 1701 West League City Pkwy.

Instructions for Rain Barrel Program Rebate

The City of League City offers a $25 water utility credit for up to 2 rain barrel installations per household per year. The utility credit is only available to residential customers; commercial water customers are not eligible for this credit.

  • Rebates will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis until City qualifies 200 water customers for the credit. 
  • A customer can fill out an online rebate application within 30 of the day of their purchase. Applications can be filled out before receiving rain barrels.
  • Applications are processed within 60 days after receiving the application.
  • The City of League City may conduct a random inspection to confirm installation and functionality.
  • Once the credit is approved, it will appear on the resident’s monthly water bill.
  • Online Rebate Application Form

RAINWATER HARVESTING INFORMATION

Can Rain Save You Money?

Yes. Even if you live where annual rainfall averages only 12 inches, you can save money by collecting and storing rainwater and using it to irrigate your trees, shrubs and lawn.

Rainwater Harvesting

Efficient water use is increasingly important to Texas. With the state’s growing population and limited supply of both groundwater and surface water, Texans must use water wisely. Rainwater harvesting is an innovative approach anyone can use.

Rainwater harvesting captures, diverts and stores rainwater for later use. Rainwater can even be used for drinking with proper treatment. But the easiest way to use stored rainwater is for landscaping. In many communities, 30 to 50% of the total water is used for landscape irrigation. If that demand for a limited natural resource can be reduced, everyone benefits.

Benefits
Harvesting rainwater for use in the home landscape:

  • Makes efficient use of a valuable resource.
  • Reduces demand on the municipal water supply.
  • Reduces flooding, erosion, and the contamination of surface water with sediments, fertilizers, and pesticides in rainfall runoff.
  • Saves you money by reducing your water bills.

Rainwater is good for plants because it is free of salts and other minerals that harm root growth. As rainwater percolates into the soil, it forces salts down and away from root zones, allowing roots to grow better and making plants more drought tolerant.

Uses

Rainwater harvesting can be used both in large-scale landscapes, such as parks, schools, commercial sites, parking lots and apartment complexes, and in small residential landscapes.

Whether your landscape is large or small, developed or new, the principles described here can help you install a rainwater harvesting system.

How It Works

A rainwater harvesting system consists of the supply (rainfall), the demand (water needed by plants), and a system for collecting water and moving it to the plants. Simple systems distribute rainwater immediately. Complex systems store some or all of the rainwater for later use.

Rainfall
“Run-off” is the rainwater that flows off a surface. If the surface is impermeable (for example, pavement, concrete, roofs), run-off occurs immediately. If the surface is permeable, run-off will not occur until the surface is saturated. Run-off can be harvested (captured) and used immediately to water plants or stored for later use.

Plant Water Requirements
The types and numbers of plants in your landscape, along with their growth stages and sizes, determine the amount of water your plants need to be healthy. Because rainfall varies throughout Texas, different plants have become adapted to conditions in different regions of the state. Plants native to your region are the best choices for your landscape because their water requirements are usually met by normal rainfall amounts.

Water Collection & Distribution System
Rainwater collection and distribution systems can be incorporated into almost any existing site, although it is easier to incorporate them into new construction.

For complete details on designing, building, and maintaining rainwater harvesting systems, go to Texas A&M University website.