DATE: August 04, 2009

CONTACT: Mary Nevins, 803-865-1216, ext. 122
mnevins@clemson.edu

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


Catch it if you can: Rain barrel workshop coming to Sumter County

SUMTER — Build a rain barrel and learn about “rain harvesting” at a workshop hosted by Carolina Clear, Clemson University’s stormwater pollution education program.

The workshop will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 21 at Sumter County Public Works, 1289 N. Main St. in Sumter.

Participants examine rain barrels at the first workshop.The class costs $45 per person and includes lunch and all rain barrel materials. The class is limited to 20 participants. Rain barrels typically cost about $100.

Registration is first-come, first-served. Make checks payable to Clemson University and mail or deliver to Sumter County Extension, 115 N. Harvin St., 5th Floor, Sumter, SC 29150.

The workshop is hosted jointly with Sumter County Public Works, Sumter Areawide Stormwater Consortium and Sumter Master Gardeners.

The morning session from 10 a.m. until noon includes presentations on stormwater and rain harvesting. The rain barrel construction is from 1 to 3 p.m. 

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.

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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/.

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.