New Yorkers Have Their Minds In the Gutter, With New Rain Barrel Program
New York City has a drainage problem. Hardly a surprise: it’s an enormous city with several million people, and it gets a lot of rain, which means lots of infrastructure to maintain and gutters to clean. So the city recently got creative and recruited homeowners to get in on the act, by handing out free rain barrels for them to install under their downspouts.
It sounds a bit odd: rain barrels are helping New York City control storm runoff and pollution? But rain barrels aren’t just quaint fixtures your grandma uses. They’re actually one of the more popular and simple ways homeowners are going green, and they might actually be a practical solution for homeowners with poor drainage on their property.
One of the biggest pollution problems is, believe it or not, stormwater runoff. Oh, the water itself is harmless enough. But as stormwater runs down paved surfaces, it collects trash, chemicals, and other crud, which then go into the sewers to mix with all the other waste to create that toxic mess that sewers are so famous for holding. It makes the sewers more dangerous, the water harder to treat at the water treatment plants, and is generally a problem cities spend millions to stop. Rain barrels, which cost $80 a pop, stop that at the source and for a lot less than a water treatment bill.
It’s a good deal for the homeowner, too. During the warm months, this means you’ve got a handy tank of water to use on lawns and gardens, instead of breaking out the hose and running up your water bill. It also means you don’t have to deal with as much water damage on your paved surfaces, or worry about the soil around your house getting saturated (meaning your basement is about to follow suit). You can even design rain barrels to slowly release water into the surrounding soil, creating a cheap and easy way to water your lawn without doing any work.
How’s that working out for New York City? Pretty well, actually. After starting a small pilot program in 2008, they expanded the program in 2009 and 2010, with 1000 barrels being handed out on a first come, first served basis in 2011.
But what about homeowners who miss out? And do you need a rain barrel at all?
If your drainage isn’t great, and that can be a problem in urban areas, rain barrels are definitely something you should consider. They come in 55-gallon sizes, generally more than enough to handle even the heaviest rainfall, provided you empty the barrel on a regular basis. You can go for a utilitarian plastic barrel if you don’t want to be fancy, or there are barrels in oak and other woods if you want a more homey touch. They’re also extremely easy to install: just feed your downspout into the barrel, and physics takes care of the rest.
Rain barrels may be a simple solution, but really, simplicity is best. Just ask the folks in New York City.
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