Winterize Your Rain Barrel

Now is the time to winterize your rain barrel (ideally before first frost). Rain barrels, especially the plastic Orbis barrels we’ve sold, are not meant to stay outside all winter long. If left in freezing temperatures, any residual water will freeze and crack various parts of the barrel. Rain barrel owners have to make sure that the barrels are properly stored during the harsh Superior winters. Here are winterizing instructions from Orbis:

Discontinue use of rain barrel BEFORE the first frost by:

(1) Open the faucet to drain most of the water

(2) Remove the lid and tip the barrel to empty any residual water (overflow hose can remain connected)

(3) Clean both lid and barrel using brush with dishwashing detergent and warm water

(4) Clean screen by running hose onto it from the underside of the lid

(5) Store the barrel upside down so water cannot accumulate (preferably inside a shed/garage)

Same rules apply to rain barrels you may have created. These may even be less fussy in the winter because typically spouts connected to them are metal would less likely crack compared to the plastic ones that come in the Orbis system. 

Ice formation will damage rain barrels

Rain, rain, how much water in rain?

Spring, summer, and fall rains are going to happen.  How much water falls during a rain?

A number of websites are available to show how much water falls during different storm events.  Some go further and tell you how many rain barrels you would fill.

Rain barrel calculator

A one-inch rain will collect 600 gallons from a 1,000 square foot roof.  Larger homes would collect even more.   The rain water will runoff a room, down a downspout and could all go down a driveway to the street and then storm sewer. 
Where else could it go?

A rain barrel
A rain garden  - direct the flow to a native plant area
A gravel bed designed to have a greater water carrying capacity

Slow the water runoff down, use it for your plants.
Is water collected from your roof safe?

The best advice is to use it for ornamental plants and lawns.  Never drink it.


Plant love water.  Give them a drink.  Harvest water and recycle it right on your property.

Reminder about the Rain Barrel sales.  More info at www.ci.superior.wi.us/news

Low Impact Development and Green Infrastructure

Image via Ryan Somma

It’s getting a little gray and dreary out there right now, so it seems like a good time to talk about green things!  Green infrastructure, for example.  Green infrastructure uses natural processes to manage stormwater in cities (US EPA).  Low impact development refers to using green infrastructure techniques on new land developments and redevelopments.  The EPA has a comprehensive website about green infrastructure with information about techniques, benefits, and resources located at http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/greeninfrastructure/.

Some techniques that you can employ to manage stormwater on site as a homeowner are things that we’ve mentioned several times in the past.  One simple example is downspout redirection.  All this entails is redirecting your roof’s downspout from draining onto impervious area to draining into a rain barrel or pervious area (i.e. your yard).  When you redirect into a rain barrel, you can store the water for use later.  Rain barrel water is good for plants and doesn’t cost you anything.  Rain barrels are fairly simple to make or can be purchased when the City or WLSSD has a sale.  Learn more about rain barrels here (webinar), here, and here.

Redirecting your downspout into a pervious area (your yard) instead of letting it flow down your driveway and into the storm sewer is a good option if rain barrels aren’t allowed in your area or you don’t want to make/purchase one.  This allows the water to soak in rather than run off. 

Rain gardens are also known as bioretention cells and are a good way to put the rain to a good, aesthetically pleasing use.  Rain gardens are built into shallow depressions.  If you’re thinking about building one in your yard, look at where water pools naturally when it rains.  That would be a good spot for a rain garden.  You should use native plants because they are hardier and cost less to maintain.  They also provide food and habitat for native insect and animal species.  Learn more here, here, here (webinar) and here.

Green roofs (like the one that can be seen in the picture above or here at UW Superior’s Yellowjacket Union) are an option for homeowners, too.   Green roofs are a layer of vegetation over a waterproofed roof.  Green roofs are typically used on roofs that don’t have much of a slope and the plant/water weight must be considered before installation.  For more information, go here and here.

Many other LID and green infrastructure techniques are used on a neighborhood or city-wide basis rather than by individual homeowners.  Examples of techniques used include: vegetated swales, smaller sidewalks, narrower roads, pervious pavement (although you can do this at home too!), and natural feature protection.

There is a lot of information about green infrastructure and low impact development; look around and see what kinds of techniques you could use.

-Written by Jillian Schubert Edwards

Rain barrel and compost sale pick up tomorrow!

Tomorrow, we will be at Wessman Arena from 12:30-7 PM distributing the rain barrels and compost bins from our sale.  If you have not purchased a rain barrel and/or compost bin, you can stop by any time and get one.  Supplies are limited, so act fast!


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-Written by Jillian Schubert Edwards

Rain Barrels, Compost Bins, and Kitchen Collectors are still available!

We have a limited number of rain barrels, compost bins, and kitchen collectors still available for you to order!  Call us at 715-394-0392 if you're interested.

-Written by Jillian Schubert Edwards

Celebrate Earth Day April 22nd!

Although it certainly hasn’t felt like April in Superior lately, Earth Day (April 22^nd) is fast approaching.  Earth Day was founded in the U.S. in 1970 as a day for teaching about the environment by former Wisconsin Governor and US Senator Gaylord Nelson.  The Earth Day Network organizes Earth Day each year. 

If you are interested in doing something for Earth Day, you can let the world know about your commitment on the Earth Day Network’s website (here http://act.earthday.org/).  We also have some tips for things you can do to celebrate the Earth this April here:

1.       Plant a tree.  Trees filter air pollutants, decrease heating/cooling needed in your home, sequester carbon, create habitat for animals and insects, and reduce stormwater runoff, among many other things.

2.       Install a rain barrel.  Rain barrels provide water for lawns/gardens, reduce stormwater runoff, and lower demand on municipal water supplies.  If you’re interested, we’re selling rain barrels (at cost with tax included) through May 24^th.  Visit www.ci.superior.wi.us/sale for an order form and more information.

3.       Replace appliances and fixtures with water and energy efficient models.  When appliances and fixtures need to be replaced, choose models that will save water and/or energy; it will also save you money.

4.       Clean up your neighborhood.  Pick up dog poop from your yard.  Clean up litter, leaves and sticks from the storm drains on your street.  When it rains, all of these things can be washed into storm drains, leading to water pollution down the pipe. 

5.       Plant a rain garden.  This is a little more time intensive than the other suggestions, but planting deep-rooted native plants in a depression in your yard can be visually appealing and will also reduce stormwater runoff and water pollution.

6.       Get inside! Of the Superior Public Library, that is.  You can see artwork by the 5^th and 6^th graders who won our “Water is Art” contest beginning April 22nd.  You can also learn more about the Earth by checking out a book; no matter what aspect of the Earth you’re interested in, there are books to cover it!

7.       Get outside! What better way is there to celebrate the Earth than to spend some time outside of our built environment? Spending time in the woods or on the water will remind you just how much you love living in such a beautiful place.  Scientists have found that spending time in nature is also good for your health; it can increase immune system function, lower your pulse, lower blood pressure, and decrease stress.                                

There are so many other things that you can do to celebrate Earth Day!  Don't forget to take a little time to love the Earth this April 22nd.  It'll do you and the Earth good!
 

Celebrate World Water Day!

March 22nd is World Water Day!  World Water Day has been celebrated on March 22nd since 1993.  It was established by the UN Conference on Environment and Development.  World Water Day's purpose is to "focus attention on the importance of freshwater and advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources" (UN, 2013).  The theme of this year's World Water Day is cooperation, since 2013 has been designated as the International Year of Water Cooperation.

Here are a few water facts from the UN:

• 783 million people do not have access to clean water and almost 2.5 billion do not have access to adequate sanitation.
• 6 to 8 million people die annually from the consequences of disasters and water-related diseases.
• Water availability is expected to decrease in many regions. Yet future global agricultural water consumption alone is estimated to increase by ~19% by 2050, and will be even greater in the absence of any technological progress or policy intervention.

 

So what can you do? Don't pollute water and encourage others to keep water clean too.  You can also conserve water by checking your home plumbing for leaks, using a rain barrel, taking shorter showers, etc.  Check out a post we did here for more water conservation ideas.  If we all work together to conserve water now, we could have fewer water cooperation issues down the road.

-Written by Jillian Schubert Edwards

Reminder: Webinar TODAY about the Stormwater Permit

Check out the third installment in the Environmental Matters Webinar Series: MS4 Permit.  Diane Nelson, the City of Superior Stormwater Coordinator, will be explaining what the permit is, why we have it, and how YOU can get involved!  Don't forget....for each webinar a City of Superior resident attends before June 1, 2013, they are entered into a drawing for a FREE rain barrel!

Go to the registration page here: https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/251882479

 

-Written by Jillian Schubert Edwards

Stop in and see us at the Housing Expo! You could win a rain barrel!





 Stop in to the Housing Expo at Mariner Mall on Saturday between 10 AM and 3 PM.  We will be there with information about rain barrels and rain gardens.  We will also have a raffle to win a rain barrel.  

 

 

 

-Written by Jillian Schubert Edwards

Save water and money with a rain barrel!

Spring and summer are great.  Sunshine, warm temperatures, blooming gardens....all things that we like to see.  However, those bulbs you plant need water to make your yard the talk of the town.  With all the other expenses of summer like high gas costs and vacations, doesn't it make sense to save a little money wherever you can? 

Instead of watering your garden from the hose off your home, purchase a rain barrel from our Rain Barrel and Compost Bin Sale.  Rain barrels capture water that runs off your roof and into your gutters and store it to be used at a later time.  When it's time to water, hook a hose to your barrel or fill a watering can from the spigot.  If the summer is dry, like much of Wisconsin experienced last summer, you can keep your plants perky with your stored water that came to you free from the sky.  Rain barrels also help keep local water bodies clean by diverting water that would typically go into the storm drain and out to the lake.       

We're also selling compost bins and accessories, including a compost turner and a kitchen scrap collector.  Composting keeps food waste out of landfills and improves soil by adding organic matter back into the soil. 

So....fill out an order form HERE or check out our website HERE. We will accept orders until May 24th, 2013 and have your items available for you on June 11th from 12:30-7:00 PM at Wessman Arena. 

The sale is sponsored by the City of Superior Environmental Services Division and UW Superior.

-Written by Jillian Schubert Edwards

Where is our Water Going?

Information about water withdrawals-when someone takes surface water (lakes, rivers, etc.) or groundwater (aquifers, wells) and uses it so it is no longer available for others- in Wisconsin for 2011 is now posted to the DNR website.  Even if you’re not someone who gets excited about water information regularly, it is pretty interesting. 

The report breaks down the withdrawals by sector, by month, and by source.  1.9 TRILLION gallons of surface water were withdrawn in 2011, while 213 billion gallons of groundwater were withdrawn (that's a lot of water!).  Power generation was the biggest user of surface water (84.6% of withdrawals).  Water is used in power generation to cool down equipment.  It was interesting to me that another use that came up was cranberry production at 2.2% of surface water.  I had no idea Wisconsin had such a large cranberry industry (see more information here).  It is especially exciting that Wisconsin cranberry growers and the NRCS have been working to conserve water; it would be great to see their percentage and the total amount of water withdrawals decrease! Municipal water suppliers and paper producers took more surface water than cranberry growers, but that was not nearly as surprising to me.

As for groundwater, municipal water supplies were the biggest withdrawal with 42%.  Agricultural irrigation also accounted for a large chunk of withdrawals.

The report details the basin where the water withdrawals came from as well….Lake Michigan's basin had the most withdrawals by far, with the Mississippi River basin coming in second.  Lake Superior basin withdrawals were actually very, very small in comparison.  However, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t conserve water up here in Superior! With the Great Lakes at low levels (Lake Michigan and Huron are at all-time lows), now is a great time to think about water conservation.  We did a post previously (see here) with some tips about water conservation.  As we near gardening season, consider purchasing a rain barrel either from our pre-order sale or WLSSD/RSPT’s truckload sale.  March 18^th- 24^th is Fix a Leak Week; go through your home and repair leaks that waste water and cost you money.  Having a huge lake just outside our doors should only make us want to conserve water more. 

 

Check out the DNR report here.

-Written by Jillian Schubert Edwards

A little bit of this, A little bit of that….

…is what we’ve been working on over here in the Environmental Services Division.  I just wanted to update everyone on what’s been going on so far this year.  Stormwater utility bills were mailed the last week of January, along with the stormwater newsletter (available here).  We had a booth at the Senior Connections/Mariner Mall Health Fair and talked to a lot of people there.  We enjoyed meeting everyone who attended, as well as those staffing the other booths.  We’ll be keeping you posted on events we attend….in March, we have the Housing Expo at Mariner Mall on the 9^th.

Hopefully you’ve heard of the Environmental Matters Webinar Series which kicks off tomorrow with our first webinar presented by Wendy on winter salt (register here).  She’ll be covering salt application, types of salt, and the problems with salt use on the roads.  It’s interesting information that is useful to all of us, especially after all the snow we got yesterday!  We’ll have another webinar on the 28^th, and then two more every month throughout 2013.  All Superior residents who watch the webinars live will have a chance to win a rain barrel in June!  If you can’t watch them live, they will be archived on our website.  Check out the Superior Telegram's article about them here.

Another fun thing that we’re doing right now is working with schools and other groups to set up presentations about stormwater, water pollution, and the water cycle with kids.  We met some smart kids who knew a lot about water at the Boys and Girls Club and had fun doing activities with them.  In March, we’re holding a Water Fair for the fifth graders at two local elementary schools.  We’re also organizing an art contest for fifth and sixth grade students that will conclude just in time for Earth Day in April.

Finally, we’re in the midst of planning a Rain Barrel and Composter Sale with UW Superior.  In the past, the City has made rain barrels available for residents in a pre-order sale.  We’re working on bringing that back this year, and we couldn’t be more excited.  We’ll have more information at our upcoming booths and eventually, on this blog and the website. 

If you have a question or would like a presentation on stormwater or a related topic for a group in Superior, please contact us.  We’d love to work with you!

-Written by Jillian Schubert Edwards

Coming Soon to a Computer Monitor Near You! Exciting News and Free Stuff!

Here in the Environmental Services Division, talking to people about stormwater isn’t just a hobby of ours: it’s required!  We have a permit through the DNR that requires us to talk to people in the city about stormwater pollution and how to reduce it (although we would probably do it even without the permit).  Like every other organization, we’re constantly looking for new ways to bring our information to you…hence this blog.  Starting in February, we have a new way of communicating with you about environmental topics that affect you.  We’re starting a bimonthly webinar series. 



Webinars are like seminars you
can attend in your slippers.

If you’re not familiar with webinars, they are similar to a seminar.  A webinar is a seminar/presentation that is held over the internet.  Someone (that’s us) presents on a topic and participants (that’s you) watch and listen live.  We will have guest speakers who are experts or can offer different insights on our topics.  Some of the topics we plan to cover include: winter salt application, pharmaceutical disposal, the importance of trees in stormwater management, rain gardens, etc.  Every webinar will also be recorded and posted to our website upon completion so you can watch them later if you can’t make the live presentation.  If you have any suggestions for topics, let us know at edwardsj@ci.superior.wi.us. 

To register for a webinar, visit our website at here.  You can click the link that is listed under each upcoming webinar; more will be posted throughout the year.  You will have to fill out a short form, and then you’ll receive an email confirmation.  On the day of the webinar, you can click the link in your email (or in one of the reminder emails) and voila! you’re attending our webinar.  There is also a tab at the top of this blog where you’ll find more webinar information and the registration links.

In addition to learning more about water and the environment, for every webinar you attend live (if you are a City of Superior resident) between now and June 1^st, you will receive one entry into a drawing for a free rain barrel.  The drawing will take place in the beginning of June. 

For more information, please visit our website (listed above) or give us a call at 715-394-0392.  We look forward to your participation! 

-Written by Jillian Schubert Edwards