Local Solution

Letter to Mr. Green and the grounds crew

Dear Mr. Green,

While researching water conservation I found that diverting rain water off of your roof is a great way to reduce water consumption and to save money. I believe that the Peddie School should invest in rain barrels to help save the environment. Rain water can be used to water the plants or garden with little contaminants that could harm the agriculture. The amount of water we use becomes more of an issue during the hot summer months. Instead of using unnecessary amounts of fresh water to keep the agriculture alive, rain barrels will store the water when it does rain, leaving your water bill relatively low. Research provides evidence that 40% of domestic water consumption is traced to residential irrigation.[1] Lawn care alone accounts for 32% of outdoor water use.[2] By installing rain barrels, we will be saving up to 60% of urban fresh water that we would normally use to water the plants and lawns.[3]

The mean areal precipitation for Mercer County this past year was 61.3 inches and is about 30 to 50% above normal rainfall from previous years.[4] Throughout this year’s rainfall, the recorded mean has been higher every thirty days than in past years recorded. More rainfall means more water can be collected and saved for later use. The collected rain water can be used to hydrate the agriculture, in addition to cleaning sidewalks, and the outside of campus buildings. A one-inch rainfall per every 1,000 square feet of roof collects 623 gallons of water. This amount of water would save a whole day’s worth of irrigation.

When selecting rain barrels some factors come into play. Many rain barrels come in different sizes and types. The average rain water capacity per barrel is about 60 gallons. It is suggested to purchase rain barrels that include a mesh screen to keep out dirt and mosquitoes from thriving and multiplying in the water. Another convenient, affordable accessory is an attached water spigot, which provides easy access to the collected water and is a way to transfer it into other watering cans or buckets. Depending on the version of the rain barrel, the cost ranges from $50 to $200 per bucket.

If you do not want to spend that much money a simple solution is to make a rain barrel yourself. Making one is easy and only cost approximately $20 to $30 per bucket. All you need is a large enough barrel to hold the amount of water you plan on using, some type of screen to keep the dirt and mosquitoes out, and a spigot for easy access to the water.

Whatever method you may chose, rain barrels are a great way to help the environment by conserving water and saving money at the same time. I believe Peddie could thrive from this form of water conservation. The Peddie community could help the environment, and set a good example to the students who will use their knowledge gained from Peddie later in life. I appreciate your consideration of my idea on how Peddie can conserve water. I hope you find this information useful and will help you make your final decisions easier.

Sincerely,
Claire Haeuptle

[1] https://www.conservemc.org/rainbarrelbenefits.htm
[2] http://www.mass.gov/agr/waterwellbeing/water_facts.htm
[3] http://www.epa.gov/greenacres/wildones/handbk/wo8.html
[4] http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/marfc/Maps/NJ_counties_365_color.htm