With water conservation top of mind this summer, the City and a local organization are teaming up to promote the use of rain barrels to help the cause.

Green Calgary began its initiative of selling and distributing rain barrels while the City encouraged residents to educate themselves about water conservation during the current drought through the YardSmart program.

The long-term goal of the rain barrel program is to “help Calgarians reduce the amount of water that they’re using that’s coming from the city’s water supply,” said Lex van der Raadt, executive director at Green Calgary, a group that engages in charitable works for the environment.

Support for the program has been good and has benefited from the city’s support, said van der Raadt. Green Calgary has had 650 pre-orders with more than 200 inquiries since midnight. 

The use of rain barrels will not only be environmentally beneficial for the city but will also benefit the quality of water for gardens, reducing localized flooding and for the users’ finances.

“You’re not paying for the water that you collect from the rain,” said van der Raadt. Although he admits that water in Calgary is currently inexpensive, the fact that the barrels can be used for years to come are sure to bring long-term financial rewards.

Gardeners who engage in hand watering such as using a watering can, will benefit from using chlorine-free water and according to the press release, plants will appreciate “soft, warm water,” according to the City of Calgary.

Van der Raadt pointed out other benefits such as filling up kiddie pools without using drinking water.

Locations, education for rain barrels

In a release issued last Thursday, the City of Calgary outlined three areas it believes rain barrels help: Water conservation, stormwater management and environmental impact.

“Using rain barrels reduces the demand on municipal water supplies, lessening the energy required for treatment and transportation,” they wrote in a prepared media release.

Although the city has yet to announce any specific water restrictions, they have asked Calgarians to conserve water in what’s expected to be a dry summer. There’s still the possibility that Calgary will implement water restrictions starting in May.

Rain barrels can help Calgarians manage their water supply over the summer months.

The city extended subsidies for the Green Calgary rain barrel program for the entire season this year.  Rain barrels are available for pre-order on the Green Calgary website. There will also be chances to purchase them from the charity spread out on dates from April to June at various locations across the city between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The locations are:

• April 27 – IKEA (8000 – 11 Street SE)
• May 4 – Dalhousie Co-Op (5505 Shaganappi Trail NW)
• May 11 – Calgary Horticultural Society (2725 – 33 Avenue SW)
• May 25 – Deer Valley Co-Op (1221 Canyon Meadows Drive SE)
• June 1 – The Genesis Centre (7555 Falconridge Blvd NE)
• June 8 – West Springs Co-Op (917 – 85 Street SW)
• June 15 – Inglewood Community Garden (2297 – 17 Street SE)
• June 22 – Community Natural Foods Chinook (202 – 61 Avenue SW)

Green Calgary will hold online classes to educate people on picking the best locations for their rain barrels, the amount of water they can collect and the best uses. It will be chance for people to also learn about what their specific needs are and if necessary be pointed towards alternate options that are not provided by Green Calgary.

“If you were already thinking about getting a rain barrel, it’s a good time to do that,” said van der Raad.

The barrels are recovered as disposed items previously used by the food industry. They are then triple-washed and fitted to become rain barrels by a local company and resold. The barrels are sealed with screens to prevent mosquitoes from entering and laying eggs.

The barrels cost $78 plus GST, subsidized, in part, by the city.

“We work really hard to keep the barrels that we have as affordable as possible,” said van der Raadt.

“Still quite a bit less expensive than a lot of the commercial barrels that you’ll find elsewhere.”