SWAMPSCOTT — With the town’s new partnership with the Great American Rain Barrel Company, residents can take the matter of collecting more water into their own hands.
The partnership is meant to get the community more involved as the initiative rides on the coattails of a bigger issue: combatting the rising threat of droughts.
“In recent months, we’ve seen droughts, flooding and wildfire smoke across our region,” Secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rebecca Tepper said in a statement. “The climate crisis is very much here.”
According to the statement released by the town, the barrels can provide an additional water source in the event of a drought. The barrels collect runoff water from the roofs and gutters of houses, which prevent water from reaching surfaces that are often channeled into local bodies of water, which in turn contributes to pollution.
Barrels are being offered to residents for $89 and can be picked up at the Department of Public Works (DPW) Yard at 200 Paradise Road on April 26 from 9 a.m. to noon. The deadline for purchasing a barrel is April 13.
Interim Town Administrator and Director of the DPW Gino Cresta commented on the new initiative. “I’m excited to offer our residents an opportunity to conserve water and reduce stormwater runoff by purchasing rain barrels,” Cresta said. “This initiative is part of our ongoing efforts to promote sustainability and environmental stewardship in Swampscott.”
Any resident wishing to learn more about the program can visit greatamericanrainbarrel.com/community/ and select Swampscott for more information.
