Below is an announcement from the Town of Wilmington:
WILMINGTON, MA — This past summer, many communities reported several inches of rain within just a few hours. On August 8, more than six inches of rain fell on parts of Massachusetts. Drivers were stranded in their cars. Heavy rains sent bacteria-laden stormwater into the ocean and many of our beaches had to close. By October 2, there had been only five rain-free weekends since Memorial Day. This is a direct crisis of climate change.
“This is the world we now live in. Every day we see weather that we haven’t seen before. Things are happening that people haven’t dealt with before,” said Governor Maura Healey.
HOW TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION
Educating and encouraging local residents to use a rain barrel is one of the many ways homeowners can be part of the solution. A rain barrel can collect the runoff from roofs and gutters preventing the rain from making its way to impervious surfaces, which often end up in local streams, rivers, pond, lakes and marine waters. Keeping and using rain water on your property helps reduce pollution, erosion and improves local watershed health.
A 500 square foot roof can fill a properly installed 50-gallon rain barrel in about one hour.
A modest amount of rainfall can supply much or all of the outdoor watering needs – a full rain barrel will water a 200-square-foot garden.
CONSERVING WATER
During severe drought, rain barrels can provide an additional source of water
According to the US EPA, 30% of daily water use is outdoors. The EPA also states that rain barrels have the ability to save the average homeowner 1300 gallons of water annually. Using the rain barrel’s stored water around the landscape saves water resources and reduces the amount of water purchased from municipal sources.
Rain water is “soft,” or free from minerals and chemicals such as chlorine, fluoride, and calcium often present in municipal water. Rainwater is considered ideal for watering plants or washing cars and windows.
To find out more about the barrels and to participate in The Great American Rain Barrel Program, please visit: www.greatamericanrainbarrel.com/community and select “Wilmington” as your town and “Massachusetts” as your state.
Barrels are offered for $89.
Barrels will be available for pick up on Saturday, June 13, 2025, 9am to 11am, at the Wilmington DPW Office (115 Andover Street). Deadline for purchase is June 1, 2025 at midnight.
About the Great American Rain Barrel
The Great American Rain Barrel is a local food-import company that has been repurposing shipping drums into Rain Barrels since 1988. The Great American Rain Barrel Co. has been an approved vendor by the MASS DEP since 2010.
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