In about 10 minutes, you can save hundreds of gallons of water.

That’s all the time it takes to assemble a rain barrel, which can sit under your gutter’s downspout and collect any rain or condensation from your roof. The barrels can also be connected to your air conditioner to collect condensation from the unit.

With the ban on outdoor watering in Hall County, rain barrels can be a great source for keeping shrubs and trees alive through these dry months, said Brian Wiley, environmental monitoring coordinator for Gainesville.

"Having those rain barrels in place will be a good way to catch what rain water we have," Wiley said. Because watering outside using city water is "gonna make a lot of neighbors mad."

The Stormwater Department in Athens-Clarke County recently held a series of rain barrel workshops to teach residents how to assemble one on their own. The process is simple, said Natalie White, education coordinator, and the response for the workshops was overwhelming.

"And we didn’t even advertise too much. I have a huge backlog of people who said they were interested and please call them back," she said.

Although Gainesville’s Water Department doesn’t have any plans to hold a similar rain barrel workshop for Hall County residents in the coming months, Wiley said they are focusing on conserving water inside the home. A new program, which will be spearheaded by the department’s new water conservation specialist, Scarlett Fuller, will go into people’s homes and tell them where they can cut their water usage.

"Outdoor water use is starting to go away," Wiley said. "So the way to get her feet wet is to focus on indoor assessments and how to conserve water in the home. When spring and summer come, we’ll have to make sure we keep those high-demand days down."

To schedule a free indoor water assessment at your home or business, call 770-532-7462.

Fulller’s duties will also include holding "fix-it" workshops to teach people how to make simple changes like installing a low-flow shower head. Fuller will also be in charge of organizing rain barrel workshops once warmer weather returns.

Residents can also get information about such conservation efforts on Nov. 27 at the Georgia Mountains Center, said Assistant County Administrator Phil Sutton. Representatives from groups such as Keep Hall Beautiful, Elachee Nature Center and the Hall County Cooperative Extension Service will be on hand to answer any questions residents might have about water conservation.

"Lots of people are concerned about it and are talking about it," Sutton said. "There are numerous public meetings (and) several community outreach programs going on."

A rain barrel can be made from a trash can, a food-grade barrel or any 55-gallon drum. White recommended a barrel that was food-grade plastic to keep chemicals from a cheaply made plastic barrel from leaching into your soil. She also advised rain barrel users to not use the water collected on plants they planned to eat, because chemicals from shingles could be absorbed by the plants.