We're gonna need a bigger barrel

We're gonna need a bigger barrel

After an arduous and drawn-out struggle to get LeafGuard out to install our new rain gutters, we finally got our rain collection system (http://sumocat.blogspot.com/2008/05/gardens-and-rain-gutters.html) up and running Monday morning. Storm hit that afternoon to test it out, and I must admit, I grossly underestimated the amount of water we could collect.

Our front barrel holds 75 gallons while the one in the back holds 50. The front was filled a few weeks back for testing (it arrived dented). The back held rain that I collected in a big blue bucket. They'd been gradually emptied since then. Maybe 60- 70 gallon capacity remained between them. The storm hit at 4. I got home at 5. Both barrels were overflowing.

the really telling one is the smaller barrel. That one was at least 40 gallons empty in the morning. Not only was it overflowing when I got home, but I drained some of it back into the big blue bucket, which holds 18 gallons. Not only did I fill the bucket but the barrel was refilled by the end of the second, slower hour of rain. Assuming both sides of the roof are equal and the overflow started at least five minutes before I got home, it is reasonable to assume that storm exceeded our 125 gallon capacity. Pretty nice to see the system at peak capacity on day one. Now the question is whether to increase that capacity.
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