It is important to have plenty of water by your side especially during the hot days of summer, and a rain barrel sure comes in handy for all your aquatic needs.
Organized by Assemblywoman Jaime Williams in conjunction with the Marine Park Alliance (MPA), with assistance from the Canarsie Lions Club, residents gathered at Marine Park on Saturday morning to obtain one rain barrel per household.
“The purpose of this event is to provide the rain barrels for residents that have gardens or whatever their needs are where the rain barrels are concerned,” said Williams.
A rain barrel can serve many purposes such as storing water. The barrels collect rainwater, thereby reducing stormwater runoff, which can pick up contaminants like pesticides, waste and other pollutants that can contaminate natural water sources, hurt aquatic ecosystems and reduce local water quality. Rain barrels can be used to conserve water, making it useful as a resource to irrigate lawns and gardens without wasting any water. It can also prevent flooding and soil erosion during rapid rainfall.
Many residents came out to collect their barrels as it can be very beneficial for gardening and help out with the high cost of water bills.
“We live around the neighborhood, to which we recently moved into,” said Susan Chan. “We’re trying to find out how to get a rain barrel, because we’ll be gardening. We don’t want to use the regular water way, so this is a way to conserve energy and money.”
The MPA was proud to help with the barrel giveaway to promote environmental care.
“We wanted to support the assemblywoman in her environmental protection of our parks and waterways,” said Maria Carro D’Alessandro, president of the MPA. “The barrels were a great idea; the neighborhood was calling for them and we’re able to provide for them.”
