Controlling stormwater runoff and its impact is a serious issue for our waterways. Stormwater runoff occurs when rainfall flows over impervious surfaces (nonporous surfaces like driveways, sidewalks, and streets), preventing it from naturally soaking into the ground, and forcing it into storms drains which lead directly to our waterways. Stormwater runoff is a leading cause of water pollution because it brings pollutants such as debris, chemicals, sediment, and bacteria straight into our waterways. This can result in contamination of water used for fishing, drinking, and swimming, and adversely affect plants, fish, animals and people.
But don’t fret, we have one simple way for you to help reduce the amount of stormwater going down your drain – add a rain barrel to your property. A rain barrel is a container that collects and stores rainwater from your roof that would otherwise be lost to runoff and discharged to storm drains and waterways. Besides reducing the amount of stormwater runoff, you also have a free source of untreated water to water your plants, wash your car, and a limitless number of other around-the-yard jobs. Saving water not only helps protect the environment, it also saves you money and energy.
A rain barrel is easy to install on your downspout. You can install a single barrel or connect multiple barrels to utilize rain water for your needs. Rain barrels can be purchased from a number of places such as hardware and garden supply stores. Lynnhaven River NOW also supplies rain barrels for purchase and hosts Rain Barrel Workshops where you assemble your own and take it home right away. For more information on Rain Barrel Workshops or purchasing a rain barrel contact Lynnhaven River NOW at (757) 962-5398 or visit our website at www.LRNow.org.
This blog post was submitted by Kathryn Havrilla, intern with Lynnhaven River NOW.