At a council meeting on May 5, the District of North Vancouver council supported Coun. Jim Hanson’s motion to explore a rain barrel program aimed at helping residents collect and reuse rainwater for gardening during the summer.
The vision for the program is to provide rain barrels to residents on a cost-recovery basis. Residents could place the barrels under downspouts to collect rainfall during the wetter months, storing it for use in the summer. According to the proposal, this could help increase greenery in the District, reduce fire risk, and support aquifer health.
“Our summers are getting drier and drier, our winters are getting wetter and wetter, and rain barrels provide a means to collect that water in the winter and use it in the summer,” Hanson said.
His motion directed district staff to report back on options for encouraging the use of rain barrels. The proposed program would allow residents to purchase barrels from the District at cost, to boost uptake while keeping costs low. “We can significantly increase rain barrel uptake at a reasonable cost to District taxpayers,” Hanson said. “If we buy the rain barrels in bulk and develop a convenient distribution mechanism, we can do this efficiently and affordably.”
The program is envisioned as voluntary, similar to existing ones in Richmond, Burnaby, and Chilliwack. Those municipalities offer discounted barrels or rebates to residents who participate.
According to Hanson, the benefits go beyond just savings on water bills. “It takes pressure off our water utility, keeps our gardens green, and supports aquifer health,” he said. “It’s a step in the right direction toward keeping our community green and making better use of a natural resource that otherwise runs down the drain.”
District staff will now investigate implementation options and report back to the council.
Great idea! I would totally do it