Officials promote rain barrel program following record rainfall

SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City has already seen record rainfall for the month of October, with some areas of town experiencing extensive flooding and damage. With more rain on the way, there is growing concern about whether the additional water could do more damage.

But officials say there is a way to harness the power of the rain to your advantage and lower your water bills by utilizing a rain barrel program from the Utah Rivers Council.

So far in October, 4.16 inches of precipitation have fallen, when typically the state only sees 1.26 inches in the average October. The previous record has stood since 198,1 when the state saw 3.91 inches of precipitation in one month.

"With the flooding that we’ve seen over the past couple of days, there are ways to use barrels like this to mitigate