Philly Water Dept and Rain Barrels for your small Garden

The City of Philadelphia’s Water Department has a great program for getting rain barrels to collect water run off from our rain gutters. We have had ours in place for 2 or 3 years now.  They are great for collecting rain water for your small lot gardens.

The rain barrels are delivered and installed free from the Philadelphia Water Department.  Here is their website:

http://www.phillywatersheds.org/whats_in_it_for_you/residents/raincheck/rain-barrel

All you have to do is take a Rain Check Workshop. Philadelphia Water and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) offer free Rain Check Workshops in Center City and neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia.  At the workshop you schedule a free install.

http://www.phillywatersheds.org/whats_in_it_for_you/residents/raincheck/clone-rain-check-workshops

There is maintenance required.  Every Fall season you have to disconnect the hose from the down spout as leaf matter will clog the drain.  Just take a hose and wash it out.  The other maintenance is to remove the water from the barrel before the weather freezes in winter.

These things are great for watering your small lot garden, especially for raised garden beds we use in our.