PHOTO: The rain barrel giveaway, similar to this one in Fresh Meadows last year, is scheduled to be held in Glendale on Sept. 26. Photo Courtesy of nyc.gov
Two area elected officials will join the city Department of Environmental Protection later this month in a rain barrel giveaway.
State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) and Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven) will host the free event on Saturday, Sept. 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Glendale Community Garden – the corner of 88th Street and 74th Avenue. Those who pre-register can pick up their 55-gallon rain barrels from 10 a.m. to noon, and any rain barrels that remain will be given out from 12 to 2 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis.
Addabbo, Miller and DEP officials will give out the containers to residents of the 15th Senatorial District and 38th Assembly District, respectively. The barrels are designed to catch excess rain water that can later be used for things such as washing a car or watering plants.
By using rain water for these tasks instead of water from a hose or another source, residents can give back to the environment, while saving money in the process.
The city Water Board raised water rates by 3 percent on July 1.
“Using rain water for simple tasks like washing a car or outdoor cleaning is an easy and effective way for all of us to do our part to conserve water,” Addabbo said. “These barrels give residents a free way to collect rain water and recycle it for other uses and, in turn, participate in the vitally important cause of helping our planet. With the help of Assemblyman Miller and the Department of Environmental Protection, this event will give our constituents the peace of mind of knowing they can carry out their everyday household tasks without wasting clean water.”
Addabbo and Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Howard Beach) hosted a similar event last month in Broad Channel.
To register to receive a rain barrel, visit nysenate.gov/webform/rail-barrel-giveaway-pre-registration. For more information, contact Addabbo’s Howard Beach office at (718) 738-1111, or Miller at (718) 805-0950.
By Michael V. Cusenza michael@theforumnewsgroup.com
