Johnson County Stormwater Management Program

Rain Water Harvesting

The Johnson County Stormwater Management Program is now offering Lily Raintainers. Limited quantities are available.

Price $125

What is a Lily? Lily is a decorative 55-gallon rain barrel that collects and stores rainwater from your roof. The Lily has multiple pre-drilled openings, making it possible to draw water from the barrel. The lid of the Lily can be used as a self-watering planter. It can also be easily removed, making cleaning the inside of the barrel simple.

Why are Lilies (rain barrels) beneficial?

Harvesting rainwater saves you money and helps our environment.

Lawn and garden watering can make up 40 percent of your household water use during the summer months. The Lily can be used to store water for gardening during times of little rain or drought. You can significantly reduce the amount of water you consume by using rainwater instead of tap water. Many gardeners find that their plants like rainwater better than tap water. Rain is naturally soft water and is free of chorine, fluoride and other chemicals.

In addition to conserving water Lilies can also be helpful in managing stormwater. As more impervious surface is created by buildings, roads and pavement, rainwater has less of a chance to soak into the ground as it would naturally. The water that doesn't soak in, called stormwater, flows over hard surfaces picking up pollutants, such as pet waste, motor oil, fertilizer and litter, and carries them into our streams and rivers untreated. The Lily can continuously drain which allows water to slowly soak into the soil and into the water table, being filtered by soils and plants along the way.

The water collected in your barrel can be used in a variety of ways:

Water your garden or your lawn
Wash your car or bike
Clean work boots and tools
Water potted plants
Be creative!

How much rain will it take to fill my Lily?

Your Lily will fill up quickly. A half-inch of rain draining from a 250 square foot section of roof will fill your Lily. Use the chart below to determine how many gallons of water will flow off your roof during a typical rain storm.

Gallons of Water Produced
		Rainfall (inches)
		0.1	0.2	0.3	0.4	0.5	0.6	0.7	0.8	0.9	1
Roof Area (square feet)	100	6	12	18	24	30	36	41	47	53	59
	250	15	30	44	59	74	89	104	118	133	148
	500	30	59	89	118	148	178	207	237	266	296
	750	44	89	133	178	222	266	311	355	400	444
	1000	59	118	178	237	296	355	415	474	533	592
	1250	74	148	222	296	370	444	518	592	666	740
	1500	89	178	266	355	444	533	622	711	799	888
	1750	104	207	311	415	518	622	725	829	933	1036
	2000	118	237	355	474	592	711	829	947	1066	1184

Planning: When choosing a location for your Lily consider which downspout(s) you would like to harvest rain water from, and the proximity to plants needing water. Next, think about where the water that comes out of the overflow hose of the Lily will go. It may simply go to a grassy area where the downspout had directed water previously.

Site Preparation: Once you have selected your downspout; make sure the ground is relatively flat. You may need to use some sand or concrete pavers to create a stable and level surface for your Lily to sit.

Assembly: Follow the instructions included with your Lily raintainer. No special tools are needed and all fittings can be hand tightened.

Attaching to downspout:

Cut the gutter off about five feet from the ground. Attach your Lily to the downspout using a flexible downspout extender and attach a second flexible downspout extender to the overflow. NOTE: Flexible downspout extenders (sold separately). These can be purchased at most local hardware stores.

How do I purchase a Lily?

We welcome and appreciate every property owner that wants to save water, prevent storm-water runoff, and improve water quality by participating in the pilot Lily program.

With a limited number of rain barrels to offer, participation in the program is on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact the Johnson County Stormwater Management Program to confirm availability (913) 715-8300 or by email at stormwater@jocogov.org

What if I want to make my own rain barrel?

For those of you who would rather build your own rain barrel there are kits available that include a barrel and everything you need. Habitat Restore sells their kit for $50.

If you have access to a recycled food grade you can build your own by following the following instructions. Build-your-ownrainbarrel.pdf

JOHNSON COUNTY STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
1800 W. 56 Highway
Olathe, KS 66061
Phone: (913) 715-8333
Fax: (913) 715-2453