In a bid to promote water conservation, Oklahoma City is teaming up with the Central Oklahoma Storm Water Alliance to offer a discount on rain barrels, an initiative aimed at curbing the volume of untreated stormwater runoff entering local waterways. As reported by the City of Oklahoma City website, residents can purchase the upcycled 55-gallon rain barrels for a starting price of $69.50, with various color options and composters also up for grabs. They must act before the April 28 deadline to take advantage of the discounted price.
Prospective buyers can place their orders through the designated website, and purchases should be attributed to the "Rainbarrel Program City" of Oklahoma City during the checkout process to ensure proper distribution of funds. The barrels come with new fixtures and a screen to exclude unwanted visitors such as mosquitoes and other pests. Environmental Protection Superintendent Derek Johnson highlighted the significance of this initiative, telling the city's official website, "This is one of our most popular storm water best practices that can be implemented on a residential scale" and "Every gallon of captured rainwater helps reduce the impacts of urban runoff to our local waterways."
Using rain barrels provides a dual benefit: they help with water conservation by reducing dependence on treated municipal water for gardening, and their usage directly diminishes urban runoff, contributing to better water quality in the region. The city's official website states that customers can pick up their online or mail-ordered rain barrels on May 3 or May 10 from 8:30-11:30 a.m. at the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center, located at 1621 S. Portland Ave.
