Unintended Consequences with Epilogue

A year or so ago, the city had a sale on rain barrels, only $55 for 55 gallons. It seemed very green to get a rain barrel.    I put it right where the valley in the roof pours rain onto the patio.  It is a big beige detraction smack in the middle of things, large as a pony but not as cute.

Collecting rain is no problem.   With only .1 inch of rain, the barrel overflows. Using the rain, that's another issue.

Last summer when I got a huge water bill I calculated how much a gallon of water costs and how much the rain barrel could save me.  When I did the math on the rain barrel, I broke even on buying it after I turned the water over 100 times.  I was definitely not using the water enough.

So I bought a $40 battery operated timer and about $20 in drip plumbing so the rain barrel would water all my patio pots automatically.  I was making progress on the turnovers. After a rain, my system would run for a couple of weeks before the barrel was dry. But with the extra investment, I now needed to turn the water over 200 times to break even.  That would be 400 weeks, not counting the extra investment in batteries for the timer.

Then it quit raining and I was preparing to leave town on a long trip.  What to do?  If the barrel emptied my plants would die.  So I bought another timer that fills the barrel from a faucet automatically.  Of course that timer won't know if it rains and I don't need water, but it seemed logical at the time.  It wasn't the only reason I bought that timer, and the extra valve for the rain barrel was only $15 more.

You see where I am going, yes?  I am never going to break even.   I am not sure the barrel will last that long since it already had a leak that Carl repaired. (Add $6 for a can of car undercoating he sprayed  inside to seal the barrel better).

For ecology's sake, I can live with the cost benefit futility of the rain barrel, but now it is causing me moral dilemmas. 

I noticed recently that the barrel was swarming with mosquitoes.  I could see hundreds of larvae in the water.  I pondered the situation.  I could drain it.  I could use it only in the winter when there's no mosquitoes and I don't need the water anyway.  I could poison them, but I don't like killing and pesticides.  Besides, I would be poisoning my dog and other creatures in my habitat who like to drink out of the saucers under the plants.   None of these solutions worked for me.

There was only one answer.  I bought a goldfish.  Only 13 cents.  But since the water in the barrel was being replenished with tap water, I needed de-clorinator also.  $6.00 for the small bottle. 

I put Mr. Goldfish in one night.  By the next morning, that guy had eaten 100% of the larvae.  What a super achiever!

But what would he eat between mosquitoes?  Suppose the word spread and the pests quit laying their eggs in the rain barrel?  Would I have to hire a fish sitter for the summer?

Back at the pet store, I found some vacation feeding cakes.  I bought about $20 worth that should last all summer unless he is gluttonous.   And I created a pulley system to bring the feeder up from the bottom of the barrel to refill when needed.  My wonderful housekeeper Rosa has promised to check his feeder and add de-clorinating drops.  No extra, she says.

I am not going to add to the break even analysis.  Seems pointless.  All that is left is to wrestle with my conscience over the death of thousands of mosquito larvae who would never have been hatched if I hadn't bought a rain barrel, nor dying before their first bite if I hadn't bought a goldfish.

And that is what is keeping me awake at night.

Epilogue:  On my return from vacation I found a missing fish and a very upset Rosa.  One day when she checked on him, he was gone.  It broke her heart that the fish walked away on her watch.  I can only surmise that with all the rain he swam out the overflow.  Probably right into the mouth of the neighbor's cat who took up residence in the yard while Daisy was gone.

And the rain barrel is leaking again. Won't hold water.  This time, no repairs for me.  I'm done with green rain barrels, mosquitos and fish.  And sleeping soundly.

Anyone need a six month supply of fish food?