Charles River Watershed Association offers discounted rain barrels, composters

By Charles River Watershed Association

Needham Times, Monday, July 12, 2010

Needham - Charles River Watershed Association is offering discounted rain barrels and tumbling composters. The rain barrels retail for $119.95, but are available for the bulk discount price of $79.95. The Bio-Orb composters, found in online stores for $130-$170, are available through this program for only $94.95. CRWA has teamed up with the New England Rain Barrel Company to help residents conserve water, reduce pollution from stormwater runoff and commercial fertilizers and cut down on the waste that ends up in the landfill. A $5 donation for each rain barrel and composter purchased will be made to CRWA to continue its efforts to protect, preserve and enhance the Charles River and its watershed.

Stormwater pollution is a major problem for rivers, lakes and oceans. When rainwater flows over the paved surfaces in our cities and suburbs, it picks up fertilizers and pesticides from our lawns, oil and antifreeze from our driveways, pet waste and litter from our sidewalks and gutters, and deposits it all into our streams and rivers. Substituting compost for commercial lawn and garden products can reduce the amount of pollutants in stormwater runoff. Rain barrels collect rainwater runoff for re-use in your lawn and garden, reducing stormwater runoff volumes and allowing the water to filter naturally into the ground when used to water plants and shrubs. By watering plants with water from a rain barrel, we also reduce the water wasted when running a lawn sprinkler.

Rain Barrels

The rain barrels are made in Peabody from 55-gallon blue plastic containers originally used in the U.S. food industry. They have a 6-inch inlet opening in the top covered with a screened louver to keep insects and debris out. The barrels have two brass spigots — one to connect to a hose for watering, the other for overflow. A second hose may be connected to the overflow valve to direct excess water away from the home. The New Englander Rain Barrel includes a 5-foot starter hose with a shutoff valve and complete installation instructions. Homeowners may join multiple barrels together for additional capacity, and paint the barrels if a different color is preferred.

Rain barrel use is a way to capture and store rainwater from a home’s roof gutter system for later use. The New Englander is designed for watering flowers, vegetables, shrubs and trees either by connecting a garden hose to the rain barrel or filling a watering can. By capturing the rain falling on the entire roof area, even a gentle shower will provide plenty of water, as little as a quarter-inch on an average roof will fill a barrel.

Composters

The Bio-Orb is a spherically shaped home composting bin which can be rolled to mix the compost. It’s made in America from 100 percent recycled plastic (50 percent from home recycling). Bio-Orb is 3 feet in diameter with a 13-cubic-foot capacity and assembles without tools in 10 minutes. It is an enclosed system to keep rodents and raccoons out, with small holes to let in rain, air, beneficial insects and worms. It comes complete with assembly instructions and a composting tips sheet.

Composting is an easy way to improve the health of your landscape by using all-natural fertilizer instead of buying chemicals or bagged compost. Compost can be used to enrich a flower or vegetable garden and improve the soil around trees and shrubs. It also makes an excellent soil amendment for houseplants and planter boxes. Composting kitchen and yard waste can reduce the number of leaf bags brought to the transfer station and reduce waste on trash pickup day. This translates into a smaller carbon footprint and less money spent by the city or town on trash removal that can be better spent on other municipal services. The unique design of Bio-Orb makes mixing the compost fun and easy. Just tip it up on its axis (think wagon wheel) and roll it around once or twice a week. This will speed up the breakdown of waste and yield usable compost sooner.

Ordering

For more information and to place your order, call the New England Rain Barrel Company toll free at 877-977-3135 or order online at www.nerainbarrel.com. Orders must be placed by July 26 and picked up on Wednesday, July 28, from 4-7 p.m. at Charles River Watershed Association’s office adjacent to the Leo J Martin Golf Course, 190 Park Road, Weston.

Click here for additional pick-up dates.

Charles River Watershed Association

CRWA was formed in 1965 in response to increasing concern about the poor condition of the Charles at that time. Since its earliest days of advocacy, CRWA has spearheaded major cleanup and watershed protection projects. In addition to basin testing and flagging, CRWA volunteers monitor water quality at 37 sites along the entire 80 miles of river each month. CRWA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that relies on donor support. For more information on CRWA, visit www.charlesriver.org.

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