When it rains, it pours, and for the environmentally minded,
hopefully there’s a rain barrel to catch it.
The town of Boone is partnering with the Watauga office of the
N.C. Cooperative Extension Service and Watauga County Soil and
Water Conservation in a second round of rain barrel sales.
Andrea Gimlin, Boone’s
water conservation coordinator, stands beside a rain barrel
installed at the town’s wastewater treatment plant.
Photo by Frank
Ruggiero
According to Andrea Gimlin, Boone’s water conservation coordinator,
last year’s sale was such a success that another seemed only
natural.
Rain barrels are water catchment devices often connected to a
structure’s gutter, allowing rain water to be reused for
sundry purposes, such as watering one’s lawn or garden. The
model offered by the town holds 65 gallons and is made in North
Carolina of 100 percent recycled material. It comes with a brass
spigot, a screen to keep out mosquitoes and other pests, and a
child-resistant lid.
The barrels cost $90 apiece and must be preordered and paid for
by April 3. In the long run, though, Gimlin said Boone residents
will save money on their water bills by using captured water instead
of tap water for outdoor use.
While rain barrels are economically wise, they can also benefit
the environment by recharging groundwater. Rather than letting
rainwater flow into a storm drain, Gimlin said, rain barrels allow
an opportunity for groundwater to be recharged, also preventing
contaminants in storm water from reaching streams and other waterways.
“Using a rain barrel will save money on your water bill,
plus rainwater is healthy for the garden, containing nutrients
that help your plants grow,” Gimlin said. “But the main
thing is a rain barrel helps to keep the High Country’s water
in the High Country, while keeping streams cleaner.”
The town is also leading by example, with rain barrels set to
be installed next month at various town buildings. One is already
in place at the water treatment plant. And like last year, Gimlin
will also coordinate a rain-barrel giveaway this summer.
Those interested in purchasing a rain barrel should visit Boone
Public Utilities, located at 321 E. King St., and checks should
be made payable to the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service.
For more information, contact Wendy Patoprsty at the Watauga office
of the N.C. Cooperative Extension at (828) 264-3061, or Gimlin
at Boone Public Utilities at (828) 268-6250 or andrea.gimlin@townofboone.net.
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