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                                      Homeowner’s Help for Managing Rain Water

As a homeowner you can make a difference.  Improve the water quality in our community and in your own garden by retaining rain water on your property.  To help us do that, a very useful brochure, "Managing Rain Water", was put together in 2017 by Amy Estabrook and Lucy Ambach of the GCNH Conservation Committee.

                                For a printable copy of the brochure, click rainwater brochure


Here are some ideas on how each of us can minimize waste starting now:
  • Stop using plastic straws and request that they be left out of your drink.
  • Use fabric shopping bags and washable mesh bags for your vegetables at the supermarket and farmer's market.
  • Be creative in switching from plastic containers to other materials: use glass mason jars for buying foods in the bulk aisle of grocery stores and for storing them in your pantry and refrigerator.
  • Try new alternates to plastic film wrap like Bee's Wrap™ or similar products.
  • Buy eggs in cardboard cartons, not plastic.
  • Go back to corn husk brooms with wooden handles instead of plastic.
  • Buy the largest container possible of cleansing gels and decant to smaller, reusable containers. Better yet, go back to bars of soap in paper wrapping!
  • Bring your own reusable mug, water bottle, food container, flatware, for take‐out food and drinks instead of using disposables.Support legislation that bans single‐use plastics, i.e. plastic bags, lids and straws. Seattle and California have recently initiated bans.

                                                 Water Conservation

Each of us can help save and protect our water resources.  Click here an overview of green infrastructure as a solution to water conservation issues  by Dr. Julia Lamont.  Click the links below to find resources and  information that will help you contribute to water conservation, and help your city or town to take action.

1.   The Nature Conservancy lists helpful actions.

2.   UConn's Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR) offers a free webinar on creating a rain garden.  

3.   More on rain gardens from UConn's NEMO (Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials) Program:   A homeowner's step-by-step guide to building a rain garden including size    determination, placement, digging and planting instructions, plant selection.

4.    From Portland, Oregon, a video on how to disconnect your downspout and redirect water away from your house, back into the ground rather than into storm drains.

5.    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency green infrastructure site.  

6.    Description of urban green infrastructure programs used for a comprehensive stormwater management plan to reduce pollution in Onondaga Lake and its tributaries in Onondaga County (Syracuse, NY). 

7.    environment360:
      "To Tackle Runoff, Cities Turn to Green Initiatives," by Dave Levitan
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Updated April 7, 2021