DATE: August 05, 2009

CONTACT: Marguerite Porter, 864-878-1394, ext. 111
marguer@clemson.edu

WRITER: Peter Hull, 843-554-7226, ext. 118
phull@clemson.edu


Rain barrel workshop coming to Pickens County

PICKENS — Learn about rain harvesting and build your own rain barrel at a workshop hosted by Carolina Clear, Clemson University’s stormwater pollution education program.

The class will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 22 at the Pickens County Extension office, 222 W. Main St. in Pickens.

Participants examine rain barrels at the first workshop.The class costs $65 per person and includes morning refreshments and all rain barrel materials. The class is limited to 25 participants. Rain barrels typically cost about $100. The workshop includes presentations on stormwater and rain harvesting.

To register, contact Marguerite Porter at 864-878-1394, ext. 111, or marguer@clemson.edu. Payment, in cash or check made out to Clemson University, is required in advance.

The workshop is hosted jointly with Clemson Extension and sponsored by Pickens County Stormwater and Carolina Clear.

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

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On the Web

To learn more about stormwater pollution prevention, visit the Carolina Clear Web site at http://carolinaclear.clemson.edu/.

For Clemson Extension, visit http://www.clemson.edu/extension/.

For information about Pickens County, visit http://www.co.pickens.sc.us/.

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. Its Web site is www.clemson.edu/carolinaclear.