Santa Fe Rain Barrels Fund Raising

As the spring season comes to a near, rain barrels in Northern New Mexico will soon be back in full swing with the need for more gardening and watering of plants. This time of the year is a great time to plant new seeds, and in accordance with that, raising awareness on the environment and sustainability can open many doors for the year, as well as offer the possibility of making some money. Santa Fe Rain Barrels has in the past sold rain barrels at a discount for non-profit organizations to hold fundraisers. This is beneficial to both parties as it gives us a chance to distribute our product and develop a better network of clients in the Northern New Mexico community, and gives those having the fundraiser a chance to make some money! People presented with the choice of buying rain barrels in Santa Fe and Albuquerque are more likely to do so in this setting as it benefits not only our business, but the cause behind the fundraiser and the community as a whole.

All ideas are welcome, and we will do our best to meet the needs of anyone wanting to make something happen. Whether it is to raise money for a school program, for a trip, or some kind of project, we are prepared to help. Please come to us for all rain barrel fund raising requests by contacting us.

Albuquerque Rain Barrels

As the snow blankets the ground and the animals around us prepare themselves for a period of scarce food in the late fall, John Nash, my father and owner of WaterRite Systems, makes his own migration to warmer climates. His trips serve as a break from both the cold and his work, seeing as the business tends to slow down in accordance with what we see in nature. In this light, my dad has left the rain barrel business in my hands until his return in the spring. I am currently a student at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, and generally will do work for the business on weekends when homework isn't the only thing on my mind. The majority of our business is during the warm, summer months, and therefore the general pace of the work during this time is easier to keep up with in addition to school.

Being in Albuquerque, I will drive to Santa Fe--where our business is located--on weekends in order to serve customers. Although the majority of our sales in Santa Fe, we are continuing to increase our market in Albuquerque. During the summer, wholesale deliveries are sent to various nurseries in Albuquerque, and although this does not continue into the winter, orders are accepted either to be picked up or delivered, depending on the circumstance. We are hoping to increase our clientele in Albuquerque and to provide not only Santa Fe rain barrels, but Albuquerque rain barrels, to all that are in need.

We welcome requests for whatever our clients are looking for as far as rain barrels, tanks & cisterns, and other water harvesting systems in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Let's continue to conserve water!

Winter Water Harvesting

As the holiday season takes a hold of us, the weather is getting colder and plants remain dormant, waiting for the springtime to continue their growth. Outdoor activity is limited, and outdoor plants require very little attention while in their hibernating states. With all that said, water harvesting is in low need. However, for those who want to continue catching the snow melt coming from the roof, it can continue to take place whether plants are being watered or not. Due to the size of our cisterns and water tanks, water can continue to be collected with ease and no risk of freezing and cracking of the tank. With our Santa Fe Rain Barrels, however, it is possible for them to freeze and crack. Many if not most people with our rain barrels in New Mexico do not empty their barrels in the winter. Do this at your own discretion, and know that WaterRite Systems is not responsible for any damage to your rain barrels if they are to freeze and crack. For those not wanting to empty their barrels over the winter, here some tips in order to minimize the chances of having to replace a cracked barrel due to freezing:

1. Try to have the barrels in a place that gets a good amount of sun. The South side of your home is the best place for this.

2. Check on them to see how much they are freezing. If the ice is getting really thick and you can't see through it or crack it, it might be best to empty the barrel.

3. Maintain them at a level that is not completely full so the water has room to expand as it freezes. This may help.

4. Leave the faucets at the bottom of the barrels a little bit open with a hose attached so that the water can run out and water a tree or plants rather than freezing.

Good luck with all of your winter water harvesting. We are still open for business throughout the winter. Please get in touch with us if you are interested in making a rain barrel or other purchase or if you have any questions. Stay Warm!

Reasons to Invest in a Water Harvesting System

Water harvesting systems are essential for the preservation of a clean and reliable water supply in places that are very dry like New Mexico.  For anyone with outdoor plants and gardens that need watering, rain barrels and cisterns are a practical investment that will not only save you water, but also save our water supply from being depleted.  Here are a few reasons to invest in a water harvesting system in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and surrounding areas:

• Rain barrels and other water harvesting systems prevent erosion of the soil underneath canales
• A well thought out water harvesting system can allow for you to never have to use the tap to water outdoor plants again
• By having your own supply of water, limitations to outdoor watering during periods of drought will not affect how much you can water
• Having a water harvesting system at your home can save you a good percentage of the money you spend on your water bill each month
• A sustainable water harvesting system can be low in cost and easy to instal

I hope that you were able to see the logic in investing in a water harvesting system.  Please contact us for more information.

Water Harvesting Around the World

As the human population increases, the resources that our race is in need of to survive decrease, bringing ways to live sustainably into the forefront of our existence. As water is a key factor for the existence of life, access to it is of utmost importance, and people are beginning to realize that the more it is conserved and recycled, the more it will be around in the future. In Santa Fe, a large amount of the population in the city currently own rain barrels or some other form of water harvesting system. In other areas around the country and the world, similar solutions to the concern of water access are surfacing. In Dadaab, Kenya, women have begun to catch water during times of rain in order to water crops for food, and are fighting for the implementation of water harvesting structures to aid in their mission. In Pheonix, a relatively new convention center has both solar panels and a water harvesting garden, and the rise in water prices in India has been pushing the farming community to find an alternative to expensive irrigation systems.

Much of the world is beginning to see the importance of water conservation, much of this due to being forced to find a more sustainable alternative due to current conditions. After seeing how it could be without water, I wonder whether more of the population will choose water conservation before their plants begin to die and washing the car is unheard of.

Let's get started early! Water harvesting systems are easy to install and use, and can eliminate the cost of watering outdoor plants. Rain barrels, cisterns, tanks, and totes are some of the water harvesting systems that Santa Fe Rain Barrels currently offers. Don't wait until your plants are wilting!

Please contact us for more information.

Santa Fe Rain Barrels Migration

Hello everyone.  This winter we will still be open for sales of rain barrels, cisterns, and all other water harvesting systems, although we will be pausing all wholesale accounts until next spring.  During the winter months, there is very little to no gardening and watering needed, and therefore the business tends to migrate with my dad to spend the next few months in a warmer climate.  My brother Lukas and I are still around, however, and will be glad to assist anyones needs for rainbarrels or other products throughout the winter.  Many people continue to find uses for the barrels throughout the cold months.  

Please visit our website if you have any questions or would like to place an order!  The easiest way to reach us is by going to the contact us page of the website.  Feel free to call or e-mail.  It is never too cold to plan for the spring!

Water Conservation in the Southwest Desert

Although it may not hit you with the water that comes out of the sink at the turn of a nob and the many green parks and lush yards that scatter our cities, the American Southwest is a dry, arid desert. That's right my friends, if you live anywhere between Southern California and New Mexico, don't be fooled by the illusion of our seemingly water-sufficient climate. Californians have recently been coming to grips with the reality of the Southwest's unreliable water supply, and many think that this is only the beginning.

Although it may not seem like too big of a threat from the safety of our water-laden homes, this issue won't be going away any time soon. Water doesn't fall from the sky(at least very often) in the Southwest. In a recent article online, writer Alex Steffen describes the situation as being dry and getting dryer with almost no way out of it. The rivers have less water, the sky is not dropping enough water, and hotter years are predicted to be on the way.

So, is there anything we can do to help prevent the landscape of tumbleweeds and cactus from taking over our homes and communities? Can we continue to survive in this relatively harsh living environment?

Although nobody can be certain as to what will come to pass, there are things that we can all do to conserve water that go beyond the basics of quicker showers and more drought resistant plants(although these things play an important role as well). The concept is simple: when the water comes, catch it! I've seen people use anything from buckets to trash cans to, water troughs. As rain barrel distributors, we are catering to you. Together, we can insure that all homes have reliable water harvesting systems, so that we can continue to maintain our oasis' in the middle of the desert.

For more info, feel free to contact us.

Water Barrels and the Samaúma Tree

In the Amazon forest, there grows a giant tree called Samaúma, referred to by the indigenous people as the "mother of trees". The Samaúma is one of the largest trees in the forest, and is very easy to notice high above the surrounding greenery, it´s branches reaching out over the plant life underneath like a mother caring for her children. One of the largest living trees known to the human race, the Samaúma has a special purpose in the natural world. The trunk of the Samaúma is hollow, and generally has a bulge in its center as if it were a full belly. Within the trunk is stored a large quantity of water, which in times of drought is released into the ground through its roots, giving life to the surrounding area. In this way the forest is able to survive until the next rain.

The story of this tree is a great example for everyone. Just knowing that this kind of consciousness exists in the natural world can be a great hope.

Conserving water with rain barrels and cisterns has a similar effect to the Samaúma tree within our society. By having these containers ready for rain, we can store water in them until it is needed in dry periods. Like this, we can preserve the lives of our plants as well as cut down on our usage of the water which grows more precious every day.

Please visit our website for any information on Water Harvesting Systems in NM. Let the great Samaúma be an example for all of us in conserving water and the environment in which we live.

Three rainbarrels of varying size and color

Samaúma tree
in the Amazon

10 Years of Water Harvesting

The dawn of the year 2000 had many expectations leading up to it. Will it be the end of the world? Will it be the end of technology? Is it the beginning of a new era and consciousness? Similar to today´s 2012 doomsday speculations, the meaning and significance of Y2K had everyone around the world asking questions. People didn´t know what to think. Many people were afraid while others claimed that it was all just a big myth. As the time drew nearer to January 1st, however, the rumors got louder and those listening to them got prepared.

People driving by the back of our house off the main road of Eldorado in the year 1999 were occasionally greeted by a sign that read `Y2K Storage Barrels`, with a large amount of red barrels waiting to be sold, and my hopeful dad attending the many intrigued drivers that stopped by to have a look. The corner of our yard was stacked higher than the level of our fence with barrels, which we had unloaded from a full-sized semi despite the scrutiny from neighbors. Aside from that, the barrels smelled (and continue to smell) like garlic or peppers before getting washed out. We had hope that it would be worth all the trouble.

Needless to say, we didn´t have to send all the barrels back to where they came. People were buying them. Some for food. Some for water. Some to put pillows in and turn into a doghouse. Anything you could imagine. The Y2K hype was really working!

After the ball dropped and the parties died down, and people began forgetting about the Y2K new world which had been the only thing on their minds the night before, life went back to normal. It was only then that we really started to sell rain barrels as a way to store the water coming off people´s roofs. As the business started to grow, the city of Santa Fe got involved and granted us the right to give customers $30 dollar rebates on their water bill for buying barrels. We soon found ourselves delivering barrels to places outside of Santa Fe, and I became busier and busier getting orders ready for wholesale. The business spread to Albuquerque, and our methods of selling evolved with the number of barrels we were selling. It wasn´t as easy anymore to keep up with orders, so we were forced to find better and more efficient ways of preparing the barrels to be sold.

Today, after 10 years of selling barrels, the business has seen many changes. We now have a distribution in Las Cruces, NM, as well as the one we have had in Altanta, GA. We have many different sizes of tanks and cisterns, and they are all of various types and prices. The more people buy, the less limits we have in selling the barrels, and we encourage anyone interested, no matter where from or what is needed, to contact us.

The city of Albuquerque, although already big for NM, is continuing to increase in size and population. As the number of people using water increases, the level of Albuquerque´s ground water decreases at an even faster rate, signifying that water conservation must grow to match the demand for water. The earlier people conserve water, the more secure the future of our water supply will be, and we will be more prepared for any water-related problems to come. Rainbarrels for Albuquerque and Santa Fe are always available to interested clients. As the demand for water increases, we hope to meet that demand with a reliable supply of barrels.

Hope we can continue to serve you, and happy 10th anniversary of Santa Fe rain barrels!

Santa Fe Water Harvesting Systems

With the rise of temperatures and melting of ice, the rain barrel business is now back in full swing. We are now officially back in business, ready to accomodate any needs you have regarding Santa Fe water harvesting systems. Although my dad and I are currently away, Lukas Nash, my brother, will be in Santa Fe running the business. We hope that everyone had a great winter and that you are ready for the hotter months to come.

Rainbarrels in the Winter Months

As the aspens change color and pinon nuts litter tree riddled hills, the days get slower and slower and the world around us retracts in order to prepare for the winter months. With the changing of the seasons, rain barrels are in much lower demand, and soon the business will come to a close for the winter. There's not much to water in freezing weather, and therefore very few barrels to sell.

Although it's completely up to you, emptying your barrels in the wintertime can prevent them from freezing and cracking. In many cases, people never experience this problem though, and therefore it is encouraged for each individual with barrels to use their own discretion. They can freeze and crack, but won't always do so. For example, if you have your barrels on the south facing side of your house and they get a lot of sun, you probably won't have a problem. Just be warned that it can happen.

If you still need to get some rain barrels before the business goes into hibernation for the winter be sure to contact us as soon as possible for any orders. Harvest the Santa Fe water before it gets too cold!