Springfield Water and Sewer Commission Rain Barrel Program:

Each spring the Commission offers rain barrels from the Great American Rain Barrel Company at the wholesale price
of $70. The rain barrels are a low cost conservation alternative to supplement lawn and garden watering. The
rain barrel works by capturing rain water from rooftops and collecting it in a 60-gallon barrel. The barrel
is retro-fitted with a spigot for distributing water to the landscape, car washing or other outdoor use.

To purchase a rain barrel, the Commission offers a pre-paid order program. Those interested in purchasing a barrel
must do so during the pre-paid order time. For 2010, the order period is April 5th through April 23rd. The barrels
are then available for pickup on May 8th at the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission’s office, located on 71
Colton Street between 9am and 11am. If you missed this year’s program, please check back with us next spring.

Why do I need a rain barrel?

Its only takes a ¼-inch of rainfall to fill the 60-gallon rain barrel when it’s connected to a household gutter
and collecting rain from the rooftop. In Massachusetts it rains 130 days per year on average. If the rain barrel
is used during half of those 130 days, or approximately 65 times per year, then it would collect 3,900 gallons of
water per year. Using the Commission’s Fiscal Year 2011 water and sewer rates, 3,900 gallons of water from the tap
would cost about $27.

For those who use water regularly for lawn and gardening, a $70 investment on a rain barrel will easily pay for itself
in two to three years.

For More Information:

Please visit the Great American Rain Barrel Company website for information on rain barrels, installation instructions,
winterization, maximizing collection and other great rain barrel ideas. For more information on the next Springfield
Water and Sewer Commission rain barrel sale, please contact April Kelly.