Roll out the (rain) barrels in S. Euclid

Thursday, August 16, 2007

By Jeff Piorkowski

SOUTH EUCLID

 What's one solution to creek erosion?

How about a rain barrel outside every home?

Ward 4 Councilwoman Jane Goodman and Councilwoman-at-large Sunny Simon have sponsored legislation that would allow residents to use barrels to catch rain water.

"Right now, downspouts have to be connected to storm sewers (by city law)," Goodman said. "This legislation would connect your downspout to a rain barrel."

Goodman said water carried in storm sewers leads to increased creek water flow, and erosion.

By using a barrel to catch rain water, that water can be slowly released into a storm sewer to minimize erosion, or even better yet, according to Goodman, "People can use water not treated by the city for their lawns."

The barrels would have to be covered, to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in them and to keep children out.

Goodman said the barrels would be connected to storm sewers so that overflow would go into the sewers, "but by that time you have 55 gallons in the barrel to use for other things."

"We're trying to give residents the opportunity to be environmentally friendly, and we're trying to think outside the box," Simon said.

Simon said some South Euclid residents inquired about the use of barrels, not knowing that it is not legal to connect a downspout to a storm sewer.

"All homes used to have rain barrels," Goodman said. "It's water that doesn't have chlorine or fluoride in it."

City Council's Planning and Zoning Committee discussed the legislation July 30, but took no action. Goodman said the committee is likely to revisit it in the fall.

Contact Piorkowski at jcpiorkowski [at] yahoo [dot] com.

 

From: http://www.cleveland.com/sunmessenger/news/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1187202078261870.xml&coll=4 [1]