AROUND TOWN: Put your rain water to good use
Posted by: Anna Dietzmann, Summer 2013 Intern
Rain, rain, go away! It seems like we can’t go more than two days without rain this summer. All this rain isn’t only dampening our spirits, but it is also affecting the city’s sewer system. The office of Councilman Curtis Jones Jr., The Energy Coordinating Agency, and the Philadelphia Water Department have come together to provide you, residents of Philadelphia watersheds, with a way to help. The offices are bringing back – by popular demand – a rain barrel workshop and FREE rain barrels for participants!
For those who are unfamiliar, a rain barrel is a storage container used to collect rain water from downspouts. Downspouts usually lead water from roofs to the ground or a storm sewer. In the case of rain barrels, the water follows the downspout from the roof to collection container. Rain barrels are made up of a few parts: a plastic storage container with lid, a system that diverts water into the barrel, an overflow that diverts water away from the house, a screen to keep out debris, and a water spigot to which a hose can attach.
So why would you want a rain barrel? For starters, you can use the rain water you collect for many purposes. Gardening, washing lawn furniture, watering your grass; normally, you would use tap water for these tasks. With a rain barrel, you can cut down the cost of tap water and use the rain water you have collected – for free! Using a rain barrel to store water will also keep water out of the sewer system and decrease flooding due to all the rain we have had in the past few months.
The office of Councilman Curtis Jones Jr., The Energy Coordinating Agency, and the Philadelphia Water Department would like to remind all who are interested that this is a free and voluntary program available only for residents of Philadelphia. You will not receive a credit on your storm water bill for using the rain barrels.
The workshop will be held on Wednesday, July 31st at 5462 Ridge Ave, the Office of Councilman Curtis Jones Jr., from 6-7 PM. Please RSVP- Josh Cohen joshua.cohen@phila.gov or (215) 685-2547
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