Build your own rain barrel at Florence workshop

Published: April 19, 2011

FLORENCE — Build a rain barrel and learn about “rain harvesting” at a workshop hosted by the Florence Darlington Stormwater Consortium and the city of Florence.

The workshop will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 7 at the Barnes Street Recreation Center, 513 Barnes St., Florence.

The class costs $50 per person and includes lunch and all rain barrel materials. All participants leave with a completed rain barrel. A spouse or guest can attend for $10. The class is limited to 20 participants. Rain barrels typically cost about $100.

Registration deadline is April 25 and is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Make checks payable to Clemson University and mail or deliver to the Florence County Extension office, 2685 S. Irby St., Suite K, Florence, SC 29505. Mark for the attention of Terasa Young. Contact 843-661-4800, ext. 113, or terasa@clemson.edu for more information.

Rain barrels utilize an age-old concept of reusing rainwater to irrigate gardens and lawns, water plants and wash cars, among many other uses.

A 1,000-square-foot roof catches more than 600 gallons of water from just one inch of rainfall. Rain barrels also are good for the environment because they reduce stormwater flow, which causes erosion and can carry pollutants from yards and streets into streams.

The Florence Darlington Stormwater Consortium is a regional collaboration involving the Carolina Clear program in partnership with communities and educators from universities, state agencies and nonprofits.

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Carolina Clear
Carolina Clear is a stormwater education and awareness program of the Clemson University Restoration Institute and the Center for Watershed Excellence. The program’s goal is to minimize polluted stormwater runoff by educating the general public, youth, builders, developers, homeowners and government officials about how they can keep water in the state’s streams, rivers and basins as clean as possible.