You cannot stop the rain, and with water shortages these days, you certainly would not want to, but sometimes it would be nice if you could control at least the part that runs off your roof. If your downspout is dumping a lake right at the base of your foundation, try making this downspout diverter that uses a garden hose to take the water to areas that need it more than your house does,
Measure your downspout and purchase a downspout adapter sized to fit. For example, if your downspout is rectangular and 3 inches by 4 inches (the most common size), purchase a 3-inch by 4-inch adapter. (The other end will be round and measure 4 inches in diameter.) Connect the downspout adapter to the downspout.
Connect the 4-inch round end to a reducing hub designed to reduce the opening to 3 inches.
Further reduce the size of the opening using a 3-inch reducer that cuts the opening down to a 1-1/2 inch (outside diameter) opening.
Attach a 1.5 x 3/4 reducing bell to the 1-1/2-inch end of the reducer.
Attach a ¾-inch male fitting adapter (slips into small end of the reducing bell and provides male threads for attaching the female end of the garden hose. (As an alternative, use a ¾-inch slip socket to ¾-inch female threaded coupling, followed by a ¾-inch male threaded coupling with a hose bib on the other end—attach the garden hose to the hose bib for easy flow control.)
