Maintaining and Using Your Rain Barrel ;QWECPWUGTCKPDCTTGNYCVGTVQYCUJ[QWTECTYCVGT Preventing Mosquitoes [QWTNCYPQTENGCPYQTMDQQVUCPFVQQNU4CKPDCTTGN YCVGTKUPCVWTCNN[HTGGQHEJNQTKPGNKOGCPFECNEKWOCPF ;QWTTCKPDCTTGNEQOGUYKVJCOQUSWKVQRTQQHUETGGPWPFGT UQOGICTFGPGTUUYGCTVJGKTRNCPVURTGHGTKV the lid. When the mosquito netting is intact, and there are PQNGCMUYJGTGOQUSWKVQGUECPGPVGTVJGDCTTGN[QWTTCKP 4CKPDCTTGNYCVGTKUTWPQHHHTQO[QWTTQQHUQFQPQVFTKPM DCTTGNUJQWNFDGOQUSWKVQHTGG KVQTWUGKVHQTDCVJKPI&KUEQPPGEV[QWTTCKPDCTTGNKH[QW PGGFVQWUGCOQUUMKNNGTQP[QWTTQQH9CKVHQTCHGY 4GOQXGCEEWOWNCVGFYCVGTHTQOVJGVQRQHVJGDCTTGN TCKP[FC[UDGHQTGTGEQPPGEVKPI[QWTTCKPDCTTGNVQCNNQY GXGT[FC[UFWTKPIVJGTCKP[UGCUQP/QUSWKVQGUPGGF VJGOQUUMKNNGTVQTKPUGCYC[&QPQVWUGTCKPDCTTGNYCVGT CVNGCUVFC[UQHUVCPFKPIYCVGTVQFGXGNQRNCTXCG QPRNCPVUKH[QWTJQOGJCUCEQRRGTTQQHQTIWVVGTU +H[QWDGNKGXGOQUSWKVQGUOC[DGDTGGFKPIKP[QWTTCKP DCTTGNGORV[KVEQORNGVGN[CPFNGVKVFT[QWVVQMKNNCNN Oh No, Overflow! mosquitoes. &QPŏVYQTT[[QWTTCKPDCTTGNKUOGCPVVQQXGTƀQYQPEG KVKUHWNN1XGTƀQYYCVGTYKNNURKNNHTQOVJGQRGPKPIQP +H[QWYCPVVQEWUVQOK\GVJGCRRGCTCPEGQH[QWT VJGVQRCPFVJGQXGTƀQYſVVKPI%QPPGEVCJQUGVQVJG TCKPDCTTGN[QWECP QXGTƀQYſVVKPIVQFKTGEVVJGYCVGTCYC[HTQO[QWTJQWUG Paint Your Rain Barrel ;QWECPCNUQEQPPGEVCUGEQPFTCKPDCTTGNVQVJGſTUV one using the included connecting hose and double the (QNNQYVJGUGUVGRUVQRCKPV[QWTTCKPDCTTGN COQWPVQHYCVGTECRVWTGFDGHQTGKVQXGTƀQYU 1. 9CUJKVVJQTQWIJN[YKVJUQCR[YCVGTVQ %JGEMQP[QWTTCKPDCTTGNYJGPKVKUTCKPKPIVQOCMGUWTG TGOQXGCP[FWUVQTFKTV VJGQXGTƀQYKUPQVECWUKPIƀQQFKPIQTƀQYKPIKPVQ[QWT 1PEGVJGDCTTGNKUFT[CRRN[CRNCUVKERTKOGT PGKIJDQTŏURTQRGTV[+H[QWTTCKPDCTTGNKURTQRGTN[KPUVCNNGF 2. FGUKIPGFVQCFJGTGVQRQN[GVJ[NGPGRNCU- QPCRGTXKQWUUWTHCEGQXGTƀQYYCVGTUJQWNFDGCDUQTDGF VKE(QNNQYVJGKPUVTWEVKQPUHQTVJGRTKOGT KPVQVJGITQWPF+H[QWUGGYCVGTRQQNKPIQP[QWTRTQR- KPENWFKPIUCHGV[RTGECWVKQPU GTV[EQPUKFGTKPUVCNNKPICTCKPICTFGPYJKEJKUCV[RGQH landscaping designed to absorb water. Note: Don’t skip this step. Primer is im- RQTVCPV2CKPVYKNNPQVUVKEMVQCTCKPDCTTGN Regular Maintenance without primer, and house paint primers will 4GIWNCTN[EJGEM[QWTIWVVGTUFQYPURQWVUTCKPDCTTGN not adhere well to rain barrel plastic. water intake screen, rain barrel mosquito screen and )GPVN[DWHHVJGRTKOGTUWTHCEGYKVJſPG TCKPDCTTGNURKIQVHQTNGCMUQDUVTWEVKQPUQTFGDTKU#NUQ 3. UCPFRCRGTVQTGOQXGCP[INQUU[CTGCU EQPſTOVJCVVJGNKFKUUGEWTGUQEJKNFTGPCPFCPKOCNUECP- PQVHCNNKPVQVJGTCKPDCTTGN 4. 2CKPVVJGDCTTGNYKVJCTVKUVŏUCET[NKERCKPV #ET[NKERCKPVKUFWTCDNGCPFYQPŏVEJKRQT Winterizing ETCEMCUGCUKN[CUQVJGTRCKPVU &TCKP[QWTTCKPDCTTGNDGHQTGVGORGTCVWTGUFTQRDGNQY 5. #NNQYUGXGTCNFC[UHQTVJGRCKPVVQFT[ HTGG\KPICPFMGGRVJGURKIQVQRGPKPVJGYKPVGTUQYCVGT EQORNGVGN[CPFCRRN[CENGCTURTC[UGCNCPV FQGUPQVCEEWOWNCVGCPFHTGG\G VQRTQVGEV[QWTCTVYQTM(QNNQYVJGKPUVTWE- VKQPUHQTVJGURTC[UGCNCPVKPENWFKPIUCHGV[ You can also turn it upside down or bring it inside to en- RTGECWVKQPU6JKUYKNNRTQVGEV[QWTYQTMQH sure no water accumulates in the barrel. CTVHTQOVJGGNGOGPVU Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago mwrd.org &KUENCKOGT9KVJRTQRGTKPUVCNNCVKQPOCKPVGPCPEGCPFWUG[QWTTCKPDCTTGNUJQWNFHWPEVKQPRTQRGTN[6JG/GVTQRQNKVCP9CVGT4GENCOCVKQP&KUVTKEVQH)TGCVGT%JKECIQCUUWOGUPQ NKCDKNKV[HQTVJGKPUVCNNCVKQPOCKPVGPCPEGQTWUGQH[QWTTCKPDCTTGN9GCTGPQVTGURQPUKDNGHQTCP[TCKPDCTTGNOCNHWPEVKQPRTQRGTV[FCOCIGQTKPLWT[CUUQEKCVGFYKVJ[QWTTCKPDCTTGN OCNHWPEVKQPRTQRGTV[FCOCIGQTKPLWT[CUUQEKCVGFYKVJ[QWTTCKPDCTTGNKVUCEEGUUQTKGUQTEQPVGPVU.