The dreary rain masked the fact that the Cary area, like all of the Triangle, is still in a drought.

But on a misty Wednesday Holly Springs officials were excited by the water-saving prospects of some new deliveries to the town: rain barrels.

The town will begin selling the barrels at cost on Saturday, Feb. 16, from Bass Lake Park, said Barbara Koblick, a Holly Springs public information assistant.

“It seemed like the right thing to get the ball rolling,” Koblick said of the town’s foray into water conservation.

Rain barrels are an increasingly popular conservation technique. They collect runoff from rooftops for irrigation and other nonpotable uses, reducing reliance on drinking water supplies, according to a Town of Holly Springs press release.

“It’s basically a trash can,” said Sabrina Thompson, an employee at Bass Lake Park.

The price will be $75 for a 60-gallon barrel or $85 for an 80-gallon barrel. For an additional $5, the barrels will be delivered to the customer’s home.

Each rain barrel comes with a brass spigot, two overflow valves that could be used to connect additional barrels and a screen to keep out debris and insects. The town has ordered 100 rain barrels from RainBarrelUSA, according to a town press release.

The rain barrels will be especially useful for outdoor irrigation since Holly Springs, like other local towns, has put the brakes on outdoor water use during recent dry conditions.

All outdoor watering — except by town permit or by using nonpotable water — is currently banned in Holly Springs.

That may be driving the interest officials are already receiving for the barrels.

Koblick said she had already received about 70 calls for the barrels this week.

She plans on getting a rain barrel herself and said that she already employs other water-saving measures in her own home, such as timing showers.

“This is a natural resource we need to be wise stewards of,” Koblick said.

Holly Springs buys the bulk of its water from Harnett County, which comes from the Cape Fear River.

Bass Lake Park is at 900 Bass Lake Road and is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to sunset through the year.