The West Chicago Environmental Commission organizes the City’s annual Rain Barrel Sale in conjunction with The Conservation Foundation.
Rain barrels are repurposed, industrial-sized food containers that would otherwise be shredded and possibly sent to a landfill. The tops are screened for safety, with a spigot and overflow pre-installed on the barrels. Barrels hold 50-60 gallons and come in multiple colors.
If you’d like to order a rain barrel, please visit: https://upcycle-products.com/west-chicago/.
Rain Barrel Benefits
A rain barrel is an easy way to collect a consistent supply of clean, fresh water for outdoor use to water plants, to wash your car, or to top a swimming pool.
Rain barrels also help reduce the flow of storm runoff. When it rains, runoff picks up soil, fertilizer, oil, pesticides and other contaminants from hard surfaces and landscapes that flows directly into streams, lakes and other nearby bodies of water. Runoff fertilizers increase algae growth in lakes, and excess soil alters the habitat for fish.