Gaithersburg, Rockville Offer Environmental Rainscapes Rewards to Residents
Gaithersburg, MD. The cities of Gaithersburg and Rockville are joining forces to offer a Rainscapes Rewards program to residents of the two municipalities. The program offers incentives for property owners that install natural drainage projects. These projects reduce the amount of stormwater entering local streams, increase the groundwater supply, reduce chemical and nutrient pollutants entering waterways, and may help reduce water utility bills.
In the first phase of the program, Gaithersburg and Rockville are offering a $50 per barrel (up to a maximum of four barrels) rebate for households within their city limits that install rain barrels. These are containers that are connected to existing downspouts to collect rainwater from rooftops. Rooftops can account for over 40 percent of impervious cover in residential neighborhoods, and stormwater runoff is the leading type of residential non-point source pollution entering local waterways.
The barrels can be made of plastic or wood, they come in various designs and colors, they can range in size from 55 to 100 gallons, and more than one barrel can be used to increase capacity. Rain barrels can help reduce flooding in your basement or yard, provide your plants with better water, save money and water as you use less tap water, and protect the Chesapeake Bay by helping to moderate stream erosion and the resulting pollution that flows to the bay.
Free informational seminars on the installation and use of rain barrels will be held on Saturday, March 21 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Activity Center at Bohrer Park, 506 S. Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg, MD 20877 and on Saturday, April 18 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Rockville Senior Center, 1150 Carnation Dr., Rockville, MD 20850. Space is limited to 50 participants per workshop
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