UPDATE: MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - The Northwind Community Garden held a hands-on workshop on Saturday on how to build a rain collection system for your backyard.

The system collects rain water where it is held in large containers. It then reuses the water in the garden. Bleach and other related chemicals can be used to sanitize and fight off bacteria while the water is being held.

It takes about an afternoon to make and can cost 150 dollars with used materials and up to 400 dollars with new materials. Used materials can be found at Habitat Restore, Daggetts, or the MSU Surplus Store at the end of the semester.

The system works best on a concrete platform so the water containers can fill up equally.

Jim Coty, the Garden Leader for Northwind Community Garden said, "We want to conserve water basically. You know we have all of this rain coming down and it's running off and going to waste where we can use it, reuse it in the garden. It's not suitable for drinking but it's good enough for the garden."

If you have any questions about making one Jim said you are welcome to stop by Northwind and look at theirs or call him at 517-347-3169.

The Garden Project also has a workshop coming up on June 20th at 6pm at the Foster Park Resource Center in Lansing.

ORIGINAL STORY: MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Ever wondered how you can conserve water in your own backyard? A community garden shows you how. Watch Meridian Magazine for more.