Rain may wash pollutants into lakes and streams.
Rain barrels collect rain water that would just seep into the ground or be diverted into a storm drain. This is a great way to conserve water, protect lakes and reuse the rain that naturally falls. Home to the state capital of Madison and the University of Wisconsin, the eco-friendly area of Dane County has a couple of programs for people who would like to implement a rain-barrel system. Does this Spark an idea?
Sustain Dane
Sustain Dane (sustaindane.org) is a nonprofit organization that began in 1997, initiated by citizens to create a more sustainable city. One of their projects is the RainReserve Rain Barrel Program (rainfordane.com), which began in 2006, and is the biggest rain barrel program in Dane County. The project has been very successful and thousands of their patented rain barrels have been purchased. You can purchase a rain barrel online or from one of several retail locations. They even have volunteers who will help with the installation.
City of Madison
The capitol city of Madison, Wisconsin, hosts an annual compost bin sale. The one-day event occurs in May and is hosted at the Alliant Energy Center. In 2011 they began selling rain barrels, too. Their website also has a host of information on installing rain barrels and the many benefits to using them.
Benefits to Rainwater
While it definitely isn't safe to drink, rainwater from your roof does have several key benefits. If your roof is fairly clean and free of debris, it'll have few contaminants, which is better for your lawn and garden. Water in Dane County is generally hard and municipal water has chemicals added to it.
Using naturally occurring rainwater requires less new water. Instead of using a sprinkler, you can use the water from your rain barrel.
When water hits the ground, it may go into lakes and streams. As it flows, it collects pollutants such as pesticides, and washes them into the water. Collecting water in rain barrels prevents extra rain from polluting lakes and streams.
Rain Gardens
Rain gardens are an excellent addition to rain barrels. Their main purpose is to keep extra water from washing into lakes and streams. A rain garden is a shallow depression that contains long-rooted and native plants. Its position should be near a roof or runoff source, so that it collects water. A rain garden can absorb 30 percent more water than your typical lawn. They are becoming very popular in Dane County and are encouraged by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Tags: Dane County, lakes streams, rain barrels, into lakes, into lakes streams, barrels Their, from your