If you water running into your basement after a heavy rain, chances are great that the cause is surface water puddling against the outside of the basement walls. This is the most common source of basement water problems and one that you may be able to fix yourself.
There are many solutions to this problem, including checking the gutters, ensuring the grade is sloping away from the house and making sure that the downspouts are leading far enough away from the house. Another solution that can help this problem as well as assist in maintaining a healthy and beautiful garden is to use a Rain Barrel. Rain barrels are simply a storage tank for temporarily holding stormwater.
Stormwater from your roof is diverted into a barrel connected to your downspouts and stored for later use. A house can have more than one rain barrel, and barrels vary in size and features.
Installing a rain barrel prevents runoff by temporarily holding rain. The rainwater can later be used, or emptied onto a permeable surface or a landform to allow it to infiltrate. Rain barrels can be simply a barrel, or can include special features such as spigots for attaching garden hoses, filters, mosquito-proof mesh, and child and animal-proofing.
If you go online, there are several places that you can order a Rain Barrel; however, if you would like to save some money, you can go to your local Hardware store and with all the right parts can make one on your own. If you follow this link, you will come across easy to understand instructions on how to make your own Rain Barrel. http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/water/waterwise/outdoors/lgt/rain_barrel_en.html
Good luck!!