“In recent months, we’ve seen droughts, flooding, and wildfire smoke across our region.
The climate crisis is very much here.” EEA Secretary Rebecca Tepper.
The summer of 2023 was the second-wettest in 150 years of records in Boston, with 20 inches of rain falling in three months. While droughts still occur, as we experienced in 2021, heavy rainfalls are expected to be more frequent.
When it rains too much in a matter of hours, Massachusetts towns struggle to handle all the water. This past summer, many communities reported several inches of rain within just a few hours. On August 8, more than 6 inches of rain fell on parts of Massachusetts. There were hundreds of no swimming days at state beaches last summer because heavy rains sent bacteria-laden stormwater into the ocean. By October 2, there had been only 5 rain-free weekends since Memorial Day.
“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.” Governor Maura Healy.
HOW TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION
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 from impervious surfaces to local streams, ponds, and wetlands. Keeping and using rain water on your property helps reduce erosion and pollution and improves local watershed health.
A 500 square foot roof can fill a properly installed 50-gallon rain barrel in about one hour. Rain water is “soft,” or free from minerals and chemicals such as chlorine. One full barrel of free rainwater can water a 200-square-foot garden. It can also be used for washing your car. You can install multiple rain barrels, in series, to a single downspout. You can also connect a single rain barrel to several leaders draining different portions of your roof.
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 and rain barrels could 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 the town.
To find out more about the barrels and to participate in The Great American Rain Barrel Program, please visit: http://www.greatamericanrainbarrel.com/community/ and select Burlington. Barrels are offered for $89.
Barrels and accessories will be available for pick up on Saturday, June 8th between 9:00 and 11:00am at the Burlington Town Hall Parking Lot 29 Center St. Deadline for purchase is May 26th at midnight.