REGION
Rainwater Harvesting Week... Region takes the next step with rainwater harvesting Region residents can sleep in and put away the ear muffs and lawn chairs. After 12 years of early morning lineups in mall parking lots, the popular annual rain barrel distribution is over. And while all good things must come to an end, this really signals a new beginning for rainwater harvesting in Waterloo Region. Originally intended to be a 5-year program, the rain barrel distribution began in 2001 with 6,000 barrels sold at a highly subsidized rate. Due to the program’s popularity, it was extended a couple of times and ended with nearly 50,000 rain barrels being sold to the community. The 200-litre barrels are a great start for those looking to conserve water and to not use treated drinking water outdoors on plants and grass. But most gardeners know that it’s easy to use up 200 litres and rainwa-
ter containers that hold much more water would be ideal. “It was time to let the local retail community provide more rainwater harvesting options to residents,” said Region of Waterloo’s Water Efficiency Manager, Steve Gombos. “As the Region looks at future programs, we will likely continue to promote rainwater harvesting and help people understand the options available to them.” In reality, there are an entire range of options available to people, from simple rain barrels up to large, in-ground cisterns that can also supply water for some of your indoor needs. A large number of local retailers (including many featured in this section) can help you find the best solution for your home.
Larger systems In 2009, the Region conducted a research program on 1150-litre rainwater harvesting systems that were used by local residents over a three-year period. The Region looked at how often these tanks were used and for what types of watering. The results showed that larger tanks with pump opened up the list of potential uses for rainwater to jobs like car washing, lawn watering and large garden watering. And in speaking with residents who have had large cisterns (5,000-10,000 litres) installed, it was found that rainwater harvesting may be the long-term answer to conserving our water resources and lowering your water bills. Over the last few years, the
number of larger options for rainwater harvesting has really increased. A resident can spend thousands of dollars to put a large tank underground with a control panel in the home to manage the water use, including lawn sprinklers or even indoor uses like toilet flushing. Or, a resident can spend as little as the price of a couple rain barrels to get a larger tank for outside. These options also include various sizes, colours and shapes to suit each individual home or taste. For more information, please visit www.regionofwaterloo.ca/water. You may also call the Region at 519-575-4021 to learn more about local suppliers who can help you out.
CANADIAN TIRE RAIN BARREL EVENT 59-4159-2
59-3180-4
59-4161-4
HEAVEN & EARTH COLLAPSIBLE RAIN BARREL
RAIN BARREL
GRANITE RAIN STATION
200 L
1080 Victoria St. N., Kitchener 1400 Ottawa St. S., Kitchener 385 Fairway Rd. S., Kitchener 400 Weber St. N., Waterloo 656 Erb St. W., Waterloo
519-744-1153 519-743-1113 519-894-6257 519-885-1050 519-884-1255
190 L
200 L
REGION
Rainwater Harvesting Week... April 26th - 29th
Reg. $119.99 Reg. $119.99 5010-511
7 CU FT. TUMBLING COMPOSTER • Easily mixes and aerates green waste Reg. $99.99
Sale
79
$
99
5011-532
COMPOST AID 1.5 kg. Reg. $7.99
Sale
5
$ 97 4440-714
PAPER LAWN & LEAF BAGS • 50 U.S. gallon capacity • Flat back • Child & pet safe • Solid brass spigot • Manufactured and supplied by a local • Linkable to other barrels company - RTS Plastics of St. Clements
• Biodegradable • Compostable 5 PACK
PARTICIPATING STORES: SWANSON’S HHBC NEW HAMBURG HH PIONEER PARK HH JL’S WILLIAMSBURG HH
166 Park St., Kitchener 59 Peel St., New Hamburg 123 Pioneer Dr., Kitchener 1187 Fischer Hallman Rd., Kitchener
519-743-1404 519-662-1450 519-748-9861 519-744-6722
1
$ 69
SOUTH CAMBRIDGE HHBC 200 Franklin Blvd., Cambridge WESTGATE VILLAGE HH 130 Cedar St., Cambridge GLENBRIAR HH 262 Weber St., Waterloo ONTARIO SEED HH 16 King St. S., Waterloo KITCHENER HH 1014 Victoria St. North, Kitchener
519-623-2361 519-623-3839 519-886-2950 519-886-2990 519-579-7300
REGION
Rainwater Harvesting Week... Rain Barrel 1-2-3 Cheryl Evans, Manager of Community Engagement(RAIN), REEP Green Solutions. If you’re like me and thousands of others across Waterloo Region, you’ve got your own rain barrel stories; some good, some bad and some downright ugly. At my house, my first attempts at using a rain barrel resulted in constantly overflowing water that damaged my bricks, and an un-drained barrel that bulged and cracked in the winter. Before I resorted to retiring my barrel and using it to hold hockey sticks in the garage, I decided to do my homework and try again. It turns out that once you learn the basics and establish a simple yearly routine, rain barrel success as easy as 1-2-3.
1. April Setup- By mid April temperatures will generally stay above zero. This helps ensure that your barrels will not be damaged by the expansion of freezing water. Setting up in April also means that you will be all set to collect water for your spring lawn and garden projects. Attach your downspouts to your barrel(s), and direct the overflow hose at least 3 metres away from your foundation onto an absorbent surface. Lawn is okay but rain gardens or soakaways pits are best. How many barrels do I need? That depends on how much rain you want to capture! For every millimetre (mm) of rain that lands on 1 square metre
(m2) of my roof I will capture 1 litre (L) of water. At my house each half of the roof drains to a separate downspout. The footprint of half of my roof is 4mX10m which totals 40 m². For a common rain storm I will have to capture 10mm of rain. That means with every 10mm rain event I will need to store 400L (40 m²X10mm= 400L ). Each rain barrel holds on average of 200L so I will need 2 barrels to catch all of the rain on one side of my house. Of course I will need the same amount of the other side. Some rainfalls are much more than 10mm and my barrels will overflow. This reinforces how important it is to have a correctly installed overflow hose! 2. Drain before next rain! Make sure to empty your barrels when a storm is coming to make room for more rain. When you slowly drain rainwater from barrels onto lawns and gardens it soaks into the soil, flows underground to recharge our groundwater and supplies our rivers with cool, clean water. If it overflows onto hard surfaces it picks up pollutants as it rushes into our stormsewers and rivers, reducing water quality and causing flooding and erosion. When you remember to drain before the next rain you harvest free water for your garden and also help protect our rivers. 3. October shut down- As the gardening season winds down in October you will no longer need lots of water to maintain your lawn and gardens. Make sure to drain and store or flip your barrels upside down by the end of October in order to avoid freeze up. Reattach your downspout to the eavestrough and direct it 3m away from your foundation and onto an absorbent surface. Check out www.reepgreen.ca/rain for a wide variety of resources that will help you harvest rain water, manage the rain that lands on your property, protect the Grand River and qualify for stormwater credits. Register online for free hands-on workshops and RAIN Home Visits (for K-W residents) and purchase rain barrels for a limited time.
e ratDay CelebEarth April 22, 2013
With
www.grandvalleygardenvillage.ca
Day Poly Resin h t r a E l!
a Rainbarrels
i c e p S
This offer ends April 27, 2013.
55 gallon
$89.99 each
Regular Price $149.99
Conserve Water with Style & Durablity!
Join us for our
Landscape & Garden Expo In Support of Breast Cancer!
Friday May 3rd & Saturday May 4th, 2013 - Door Crashers - Fantastic Specials
Watch for our 12 page flyer! 3763 King Street East, Kitchener 519-893-2233
REGION
Rainwater Harvesting Week...
Rainwater Harvesting and Water Control Rain Water can be darn Inconvenient. It ponds where we walk. It makes the yard soft and muddy. And there is either too much or at times not enough to go around. When it finds a way into our homes it becomes very expensive. Nothing is worse than agonizing over water damage to our property every time it rains. Native Plant Source is a Landscape Design and Installation company that prides its self in designing attractive solutions for clients who need to control water on their property. They create Rain Gardens that soak up rain water like a sponge. These Rain Gardens are specifically located and constructed to capture the most storm water possible from your yard and roof. A bathtub like hole in the ground is sized for the water volume. The hole is then filled with a mixture of peat moss, sand and other materials that achieve the necessary balance between capture and then gradual release of storm water into the ground below. The plants are one of the most important component of a rain garden. The native Ontario wildflowers and grasses selected for Rain Gardens will create extensive and
deep root systems creating and maintaining the pathways for water to penetrate into the ground. Many native species of grasses and wildflowers will send roots down 1 to 2 meters. Compare this to lawn with grass roots only extending 5 to 10 centimeters into the soil. Roof water can be captured and used to create decorative ponds, water fountains or small brook features. Pond less water features are also an excellent way to incorporate the sound of water with little need for maintenance over the summer. Native Plant Source has been innovative in constructing these decorative waterfalls and fountains using just solar energy to power the pumps and small cistern structures to collect and store water. For over 15 years Native Plant Source has been creating low maintenance landscapes. For example, in 2008 the City of Kitchener awarded Native Plant Source an Urban Design Award for the design and installation of the Bavarian Window Works Property at 2236 Shirley Drive in Kitchener. The landscape on this 1.5 acre property was designed as a low maintenance garden requiring no watering or fertilizer.
Nursery Landscape Design Landscape Construction Unique Perennials,Trees and Shrubs Butterfly Gardens, Water Feature Gardens Commercial & Residential Design-Build Landscaping Specializing in Minimal Maintenance Landscapes 1098 Wurster Place, Breslau l 519.748.2298 l www.nativeplantsource.com
Throughout the summer there are always wildflowers in bloom against a backdrop of decorative and striking grasses. The boulevard was planted with Native Plant Source unique mix of Enviro-lawn grass seed. Once established the lawn needs no fertilizer or irrigation and needs to be mown only 3 or 4 times per year while remaining pest free. Recently the public have been encouraged to create pollinator gardens. With the honey bee population struggling the easiest way to support and attract wild pollinators such as mason bees and butterflies is to plant native Ontario plants in your garden. There is a rich variety of native flowering plants to choose from and Native Plant Source staff are pleased to assist. With the beginning of another wet weather season, let Native Plant Source design an attractive solution for your water problem and take the pain out of rain. Jeff Thompson, BES Environmental Biologist, Certified Arborist