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Project History• The previous group had designed and constructed their own rain

garden.• It featured several components:• Two rain barrels• Rock swales leading from barrels to garden• Garden itself• Overflow drain leading away from garden

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Hillel’s Rain Barrels

Rain Barrel Specifications

• 3 overflow hoses, 1 spout at bottom of barrel• Volume = 60 gallons• When filled with rain water:– Density = 1.94 slugs/ft^3– Weight = 500.5799 lbs

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Faulty Downspout

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Rain Garden

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Rock Swale to Garden

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Green Distribution Pipe and Drain

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Plant Choices and Location

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Rain Garden Design

• From the rain barrel to the rain garden– Place "funnel drain" under rain barrels– Drain will be covered with grate and 1¼ inch

rock– Rain barrels will sit on top of this rock bed– Install 4 inch pipe from drain to garden

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RainBarrel

Rain Barrel

Rain Garden

Stone Walk

•Use piping instead of rock swale•Note: Piping will be underground•Install gutter blockers for debris

26’

13’

20’

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Rain Garden Design

• 4 inch pipe– 1 foot deep trench– Sand will surround pipe to help wick away

moisture– 6 or 8 inch PVC pipe under intersecting brick

walk

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RainBarrel

Rain Barrel

Rain Garden

Stone Walk

•Use either trench or pipe for water flow to the garden

Relocating the Rain Garden

13’

20’

Advantages:•Maintain a rain garden•Sustainable water•Aesthetically appealing

Disadvantages:•Water is still being directed to sit in the area where flooding is likely to occur•Water is close to foundation-long term foundation effects?•Stone walk affected by water and roots of plants

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Roof-Slopes tow

ards backyard

Currently Existing Gutt

er

Extended Gutter

Rain GardenWaldron St.

Advantages:•Maintain a rain garden•Sustainable water•Aesthetically appealing garden•Side yard has a grade

Disadvantages:•Highly travelled area and rain barrels are not aesthetically appealing•Additional cost of installing new gutter

Advantages:•Sustainable water•No to little maintenance involved •Flooding of backyard is solved

Disadvantages:•No rain garden •Backyard may become “spongy” if there is heavy rain fall

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Questions?

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