The New York Times has an interesting piece on rain collecting in western states. Apparently it was illegal in some places due to valuable water rights. The story is worth a read, and it reminded me of something I'd meant to write about anyway.
I recently had a rain barrel installed courtesy of DC Greenworks and the District Department of the Environment (thanks guys!). I first heard about the opportunity to sign up for the heavily subsidized rain barrels a while back, and was thrilled to find out that DC had gotten with the program on this one. I'm a huge fan of recycling, municipal composting, backyard composting, rain barrels and such. I believe that cities should strongly encourage/offer such programs. For this reason I sometimes cruise other city's sites and knew that some of them offer very cheap (because they are heavily subsidized) compost bins and rain barrels. So I signed up as soon as I learned that DC was offering the program.
Basically you can sign up online, they eventually contact you, you agree on an appointment time, and they come out and install your rain barrel. The barrels themselves are just large black plastic containers (they hold 133 gallons of water). Under the River Smart Homes program (the program includes more than just rain barrels) you pay $30, instead of the $300 you would pay for the barrel and installation.
Here's why you should get a barrel:
-save $ on water for plants
-not waste water from your hose to water plants
-reduce overflow pollution in the Anacostia. DC, like many older cities has a combined sewer system. That's really bad news when we get heavy rains that the system can't accommodate.
19 comments:
How does mosquito control work viz. the standing water in the barrels?
These are closed containers. They are 100% mosquito proof.
You can also add mosquito floaters if you're overly concerned. I just had my rain barrel installed by Greenworks, and it's fantastic. Highly recommended!!!
How long does the process take? I just submitted an application today? This is a great program! Anyone have info about the pervious pavers? Thanks
Oh, I see what I was missing before -- they connect to your downspouts. I was just imagining the barrels collecting solely the rainwater that falls on the barrel, and thinking "how can they be closed then?"
FYI...i just received a confirmation of my application and they cited 6-8 months waiting time for your stormwater site audit. Better sign up now for next spring.
ok what is the difference between this barrel and buying a trashcan with a lid? I could buy a trash can for $15, save $15 and still store water. I'm not trying to be funny, I just dont see whats so special about a $300 trashcan that they're offering for a "steal" at 10% of the cost.
Can you all let me know the size of the barrel? I'd love to do this, but have a tiny tiny yard, so I'd like to know what to expect if I sign up. Thanks
Hey "just me", a handy DIYer could certainly make a rain barrel, but it takes a little more than a trash can (which wouldn't be my first choice). I've made some rain barrels for my own use from salvaged 55-gallon plastic drums, but you also need to connect your downspout to the barrel and add a spigot to drain the barrel and an overflow that handles excess runoff. This obviously requires a few more parts, some sealant, and some know-how. The RiverSmart barrels hold 130 gal, come with all the fixings, and are installed for you. That seems like its worth 30 bones to me.
rain barrels are great but no substitute for fixing the sewer system so we don't get raw sewage in the rivers every time there's a strong rain.
as far as i'm concerned, with the investment the city has already made in the ballpark area, and the other stuff they are talking about doing, it is insane not to take this step which will clean up most of the pollution in the anacostia.
Charles you appear to be a well informed guy, so why don't you know that WASA operates the city's water and sewers and not the DC government? DC taxpayers pay for both, but that all that they have in common. It looks like baseball stadium area investment may pay off big time, the busted and non-existant sewer lines will not.
I'm one of the lucky people who actually got in this first batch of people for the Riversmart homes program. It's still in its "pilot phase" apparently, and they have a 300+ waiting list for next year. (I signed up in mid 2008) I've got the rain barrel and 2 trees from Casey, and the landscaping should be done by next week. The only issue so far is that the landscaping company DC contract with is horribly slow and kept making excuses for why they hadn't done it yet. Planting native species in July is NOT recommended, but that's what they'll be doing since it didn't happen in April. They also wanted to come spray RoundUp in my yard, and I had to politely decline and tel them I'd pull out my own weeds and save my dog and any other wildlife that encounters my yard.
You can also get a rain barrel from Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center, who sell them as a fundraiser. It's $80, but you can get it now. Also - they're very easy to install. I don't see any reason why you'd need someone to do it for you.
Click here for info
I signed up for Riversmart back in early May. I was about 700 on the waitlist. I called them a couple days ago, they said I might expect them to come out around in December.
Hey "Anonymous," Yeah I pay my water bill every month but I don't see how it matters that an authority chartered by the city operates the sewers. Other cities like Boston and Atlanta have been forced into dealing with CSO problems. Until the problem gets fixed here, the Anacostia will remain an open sewer.
I recently got my rain barrels and have a contractor coming soon for the bayscaping option. I am not sure how long it will actually take to work with the contractors but we were told installation by the fall. The barrels are 120 gallons and are a nice green color so the blend in well. Feel free to swing by and check them out. 1518 Isherwood St. NE. More info is at http://ddoe.dc.gov/ddoe/cwp/view,a,1209,q,499719.asp....it seems to me that the pervious pavers, while cool, are not the best way to go (at least to start) as they would eat up the cost share program pretty quickly. (Once accepted in the program you get 1,200 worth of landscaping for 100 copay.) Not too shabby!
also
RiverSmart is hosting an OPEN HOUSE on Saturday July 11th from 1:00pm-3:00pm at their demo sites.
The Ward 6 demo site is 1101 D st. NE
Each of the demo-sites had a rain barrel, BayScaping, rain garden, shade tree, and pervious pavers installed in the past year.
Homeowners will be on hand along with a District Department of the Environment representative to answer any questions you might have about the program. You can also ask questions about maintenance and care of the installations.
I made one for about 10 bucks. It was pretty easy and works great..
You can see pictures at http://gravitygarden.com/rainbucket/?p=82
I think that was a very smart move to collect rain water. You can do so much with it. We collect rain water since many years and use it mostly for our flowers.
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