When he first noticed water pooling around the downspouts at his Lucas Valley home, Marin Water customer Michael P. shuffled through various plans to address the situation. 

“It’s a real problem when it pools around the foundation,” he explained. 

He tried downspout extenders, and even contemplated an expensive, contractor-installed French drain system. But when he reviewed Marin Water’s DIY Rain Barrel Giveaway program, Michael, always water efficiency minded, saw a solution to two problems. 

Michael and his wife have lived at their mid-century modern Lucas Valley home for nearly 30 years, and their outdoor landscaping has gone through a few iterations in that time period. Pops of color via artwork, planters and other décor hint at frequent trips to Mexico and Central America. The lack of grass, or an irrigation system (nearly all plants are in pots) signal a dedication to water conservation. 

“In those years we were having the drought, I took the lawn out, converted (plants) into pots,” Michael said, adding that his goal is to use less than 100 gallons per day, indoor and outdoor. 

The rain barrels help. He has installed two, and may add a third. The free barrels are the result of a collaboration between Marin Water and San Rafael-based EO Products. These non-food-grade barrels can easily be converted into water storage barrels for use in residential and commercial rainwater catchment systems, enabling Marin Water customers to supplement their outdoor watering needs. Since the program launched in May 2024, more than 750 barrels have been given out to Marin Water customers interested in capturing rainfall for later use. 

Michael said his barrels can fill up in a single day of rainfall, and provide two days’ worth of water for a bountiful outdoor landscape that includes everything from low-water use natives and succulents to a fleet of fruit trees, including pink lemonade blueberry bushes and a prized pomegranate. 

Even though the barrels don’t satisfy all of his outdoor watering needs, Michael still found value in the DIY Rain Barrel Giveaway. 

“The primary use is collection during rain storms – and getting it away from the house,” he said.

Tracking use with a home water monitor 

The barrels are just the latest conservation-minded step for Michael, who also took advantage of a customer discount on the Flume Smart Home Water Monitor several years ago and still checks his phone app almost daily. It helps ensure his water use goals are being met. Michael said he has always maintained daily water use goals, but the Flume device has helped make tracking those goals easier than ever. 

“Before the Flume, I was just guessing,” he said. 

The Flume device is easy to install and attaches to your existing water meter. Through a WiFi connection, the Smart Home Water Monitor gives customers information about their water use, potential leaks, and incidences of high water use in real-time. Leak notifications can be sent directly to your smartphone. With Flume, you can learn more about how you use water at home and so you find ways to use less.

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