Monthly Tip: April

Looking on the bright side of rain

April showers bring May flowers, but how do you deal with all that rain in the meantime? Currently, many Rhode Island towns are working to reduce the effects of polluted stormwater runoff, which is the water you see flowing down the street when it rains. One way that residents of the community can help is by diverting rooftop runoff away from pavement.



Did you know that the amount of rain that flows off an average roof, over the course of a year in Rhode Island, would fill more than 500 bathtubs? Instead of allowing that rain to flow down your driveway or sidewalk to the nearest storm drain, it’s possible to divert the rain in at least three ways:

• Consider using downspout extenders to direct the water onto a landscaped area.
• Purchase a rain barrel, and direct downspout water directly into it. You’ll not only reduce stormwater, but you can conserve water by using what you capture for irrigation.
• Investigate a rain garden, which is a natural or hand-dug shallow depression designed to soak up water. Rain gardens are created with highly absorbent soil and the proper mix of plants to facilitate collecting water and infiltrating it back into the ground.