A professionally-designed, irrigation-ready rain barrel system
You're in the right place for an expert approach to rain barrels and rainwater irrigation. Read on to learn about our specialty rain barrel system, and watch the video to see how to customize your own.
DIY RainKit® + Compatible Barrels = BlueBarrel Rainwater Catchment System®
The BlueBarrel Rainwater Catchment System® is BlueBarrel’s trademarked multi-barrel system design, built from repurposed 55-gallon food-grade barrels and installed using the components in our customizable DIY RainKit®.
The fully bottom-draining system is irrigation-ready, offering a streamlined appearance, efficient water access, and expandable storage capacity for projects large or small.
At BlueBarrel, we believe everyone can harvest rainwater. Our professionally-designed system combines the components, compatibility standards, and installation guidance needed for a successful DIY experience.
Rainwater harvesting is increasingly popular for sustainable garden irrigation, emergency preparedness, homesteading, and off-grid living. BlueBarrel facilitates a local exchange for compatible recycled barrels, while the RainKit® components ship directly to your doorstep.
The BlueBarrel Rainwater Catchment System® redirects rainwater from your existing downspout into a series of bottom-connected barrels that automatically equalize and overflow safely through your normal drainage path when full.
The under-plumbed design supports efficient water storage, clean operation, and gravity-fed irrigation compatibility with its streamlined modular layout.
Why BlueBarrel?
Your rainwater system should be practical, efficient, and built to last. The BlueBarrel Rainwater Catchment System is:
- Built from repurposed food-grade barrels
- Modular, flexible, and portable (when empty)
- Visually streamlined for a clean, uniform appearance
- Fully bottom-draining for maximum usable storage capacity and irrigation-ready hookups
- Automatically equalizing so all barrels fill from a single inlet and can drain through any outlet location you choose
- Designed to automatically handle inflow and overflow through your normal downspout drainage path
- Compliant with applicable code standards when installed according to our instructions
What makes the BlueBarrel System® different?
Modular & customizable by design
The BlueBarrel System allows you to expand your rainwater storage capacity far beyond what a single rain barrel can offer, while maintaining flexibility for future changes and additions.
A BlueBarrel System can start as small as 2 barrels (110 gallons) and scale to thousands of gallons of storage capacity. The largest customer-built BlueBarrel System currently exceeds 2,800 gallons.
Choice in system size, fitted downspout diverters, and optional accessories allows you to customize a system that fits your available space, climate, irrigation goals, and budget.
Build all at once, or expand over time as your needs evolve.
Bottom-plumbed for maximum efficiency
The BlueBarrel System® is professionally designed to plumb barrels from underneath—an important distinction that offers several functional advantages over typical rain barrel configurations.
Equalized water levels
All barrels fill and drain simultaneously, allowing the entire system to function efficiently as one larger tank. Our systems require only one downspout connection and one primary outlet, without requiring you to move hoses or monitor water levels barrel-by-barrel.
Fully bottom-draining storage
The system drains from the lowest point, allowing you to access the full storage capacity of your barrels while minimizing stagnant water and sediment buildup.
Cleaner, lower-maintenance operation
Because sediment does not collect in standing water at the bottom of the barrels, the system naturally maintains lower turbidity and cleaner water over time.
Streamlined appearance
Under-plumbing keeps most system plumbing hidden from view for a cleaner, more integrated appearance than many conventional DIY rain barrel systems.
Protected plumbing
Plumbing positioned beneath the barrels is naturally protected from sunlight and accidental impacts, helping extend the lifespan of system components.
Gravity-fed irrigation compatibility
The system foundation provides enough elevation to support gravity-fed drip irrigation and low-pressure soaker hose applications, even on flat sites.
Built with repurposed barrels
The BlueBarrel System® is specifically designed around repurposed 55-gallon food-grade HDPE barrels—the industry-standard containers used worldwide for transporting liquid food products.
If you already have compatible barrels, the DIY RainKit® includes the components needed to convert them into a complete BlueBarrel Rainwater Catchment System®.
If you do not yet have barrels, you can order them through BlueBarrel along with your RainKit®. We facilitate local barrel pickup through our nationwide network of participating used barrel suppliers.
Exceptional value
One of the simplest ways to evaluate value is by comparing price per gallon of water storage capacity between rain barrel systems.
Because the BlueBarrel System® combines locally-sourced used barrels with a customizable DIY installation approach, it offers one of the most affordable professionally-designed rainwater harvesting solutions available.
Our Online Store dynamically updates pricing as you customize your DIY RainKit®, allowing you to evaluate system options and price-per-gallon in real time.
By focusing on modular design, local barrel sourcing, and efficient shipping of components rather than bulky assembled products, BlueBarrel minimizes unnecessary manufacturing, storage, and transportation costs.
Additional system features
The BlueBarrel System® also includes a number of practical design details that improve usability and long-term flexibility:
- Downspout diverters are available in multiple sizes and automatically handle overflow when barrels reach capacity.
- Isolation valves allow sections of the system to be drained or expanded independently while retaining stored water elsewhere in the system.
- Full-color illustrated instructions and our online How-To Video Series guide customers through installation and system setup.
- Customer project galleries provide inspiration and examples of completed systems in a wide variety of climates and applications.
