Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Rain Barrels - One Solution to Decrease Storm Water Runoff

The dog days of summer are definitely upon us and as such I find myself out in the yard watering flowers nearly every day. And I really wish I would have invested in a rain barrel this spring as I had planned. Rain barrels collect the rain water that falls on your home’s roof and stores it for use at a later time. Can you believe that most homeowners can save about 1,300 gallons of water during the peak summer months? Of course, not only could I be saving money by having a rain barrel, but it would be much more convenient since I have a downspout just a few feet from the flowerbed.

And, along with the money savings and convenience, I would be doing my part to help protect the environment. Not only do rain barrels reuse water thereby conserving it, they also divert storm water from storm sewers, lakes, and streams which will prevent any potential pollutants the water may have picked up from making its way to these water bodies.

It really is clear that I need to stop procrastinating and just get a rain barrel now. You can find many options for purchasing your rain barrel on the internet and for those of you in Lincoln, Nebraska I just learned that HyVee and Coca-Cola have partnered with the Boys and Girls Club of Lancaster County and have rain barrels available at local HyVee stores.

Make a difference today! Why wait? Let us know what you do to help protect water resources.

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