Collecting rain to water landscapes and gardens increases the amount of treated water that is available for drinking, cooking and bathing. Rainwater harvesting also reduces utility bills and is not subject to Cary's year-round outdoor watering restrictions.

As a community service, the Town sells rain barrels throughout the year:

• 65-gallon Rain Water Solutions barrels made of recycled plastic, $87
• Repurposed 55-gallon barrels to build your own rain barrel, $15, and conversion adapter kits, $16.

Purchases can be made with cash, check or credit card at all three Cary Community Centers during regular community center business hours: Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturdays 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. (The centers are closed on Sundays from April through October and all official Town holidays). Price of rain barrel products is guaranteed July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012 while supplies last.  Availability of rain barrel products is subject to change at any time. All sales are final.  For more information, call (919) 469-4090.

• Bond Park Community Center, 150 Metro Park Drive, (919) 462-3970
• Herbert C. Young Community Center, 404 N. Academy St., (919) 460-4965
• Middle Creek Community Center, 123 Middle Creek Park Ave., (919) 771-1295

Instructions for making your own rain barrel

Rainwater harvesting can be as simple as catching rain in a bucket or as elaborate as collecting rain from gutters, filtering, storing it in huge underground cisterns, and pumping for large-scale irrigation. Additional benefits include:

• Reducing dependence on the municipal water system to provide water for landscape use.
• Decreasing erosion and flooding, and helping to control chronically wet areas in the yard.
• Lessening the amount of fertilizer and other pollutants that wash into storm drains with rainwater

To prevent mosquitoes from breeding, keep the screen in good repair and replace it promptly if damaged. Use the plugs and caps provided with the Rain King's rain barrel to keep mosquitoes from entering.

The Town of Cary harvests rainwater and uses alternative water sources at several facilities.

Stevens Nature Center at Hemlock Bluffs uses rain barrels and a rainwater collection system for its backyard wildlife demonstration area. Bond Park, the Cary Senior Center, Thomas Brooks Park and the Kids Together playground also employ alternatives to the Town's water system for some purposes.

Cary's wastewater treatment plants pipe reclaimed water for irrigation to Middle Creek School/Park and North Cary Park.