Orders taken through April 22; free workshop is set for April 20
The City of Naperville and the Naperville Park District are partnering with The Conservation Foundation, a Naperville-based non-profit, to offer 55-gallon rain barrels for sale from now through Wed., April 22, 2015. Pick-up for the barrels will take place on Sat., April 25, 2015.
‘Rain is a Resource’ workshop / April 20
The community is invited to attend a free educational workshop about rain barrels titled, “Rain is a Resource.” Jim Kleinwachter, Land Preservation Specialist and Conservation@Home Manager with The Conservation Foundation will lead the workshop, showing how to install rain barrels and how they can keep water out of your basement. The event will be held at the Knoch Knolls Nature Center at 7PM on Mon., April 20. To register for this free program visit http://www.napervilleparks.org/knochknollsnaturecenter.
Pick up at NPD South Maintenance Facility / April 25
The rain barrel sale also includes a variety of other related products including rain barrel accessories and compost bins. The 55-gallon rain barrels are made from high-density plastic and were previously used for shipping pickled food overseas. They will be sold for $60 each if picked up or for $65 with home delivery. Pick-up orders will be taken through April 22 via a third party vendor, Upcycle Products, at the following link: http://www.upcycle-products.com/static.asp?path=5231.
The barrels will be available for pick-up at the Naperville Park District South Maintenance Facility at 3415 Book Road from 8AM until noon on Sat., April 25.
Rain barrels are large containers that capture rainwater at the end of a downspout and store the water for later use, such as watering plants or washing cars. Using water from rain barrels lowers water bills, helps reduce flooding and can have a dramatic positive impact on water quality in our rivers and streams.
Rain barrels can help divert a significant amount of storm water from our community’s storm sewers. For example, if 250 homeowners or businesses install a rain barrel on their property, we can expect to keep more than 13,000 gallons of water out of the storm sewers for each average rainfall.
The rain barrels come equipped with a spigot, a screw off lid, a garden hose threaded overflow and screen in the top to help keep out bugs and debris.
Editor’s Note: According to online drought monitors, recent dry conditions under the cover of snow, have contributed to the need for rain. Precipitation has totaled “locally less than 50 percent of normal over the past 90 days, reducing soil moisture for spring growth” in much of the Midwest. Not knowing what’s ahead for spring rains, now is a good time to learn about rain barrels. Thanks for conserving water.
