Mount Olive Pickles are a popular condiment on tables in the Carolinas. Recently, the Lexington Countywide Stormwater Consortium purchased the 55 gallon storage barrels for these pickles for the “Build Your Own Rain Barrel” workshops it conducts in the spring and fall for residents of Lexington County. These barrels look a bit like large black canning jars with handles, and make perfect, environmentally friendly, rain barrels.
On Friday, May 20, 2016 residents gathered for a workshop that began with a class at the Emergency Medical Services training building on Ball Park Road. The attendees learned how owning a rain barrel and using it to collect stormwater runoff (rainwater harvesting) to water plants or for other uses also helps reduce pollutants that can enter our waterways. After the class and a snack break, the workshop continued at the Public Works garages located across the road from the classroom where Consortium partners and employees from Public Works assisted the attendees with making their rain barrels.
A few attendees had been to a workshop before and were making another barrel or two to link to rain barrel(s) they made previously to enable them to collect and store even more water. Typically one rain barrel fills up quickly during a downpour, and it really helps to link barrels together for greater storage capacity.
As usual, this workshop was a happy place as people learned a simple skill that provides water for household uses that is free and available during dry spells.
Information on upcoming rain barrel workshops can be obtained from Mary Hite, Stormwater Outreach Assistant at the Stormwater Office of Lexington County Public Works (803) 785-8201 or mhite@lex-co.com .
