RainWise, a joint program of Seattle and King County is an ever more popular way to fight water pollution. The RainWise Program is part of a larger plan to reduce combined sewer overflows, or CSOs, which occur when stormwater causes sewer lines to overflow into local waterways during heavy rains.
The RainWise Program offers rebates to cover up to 100 percent of a professionally-installed rain garden or cistern on private property. The average rebate is $4,500 to install an approved rain garden or cistern. Collectively, more than 600 rebated customers are reducing 9 million gallons of runoff annually.
You can visit the RainWise Program site online to see about whether you are eligible for rebates.
These functional systems also add curbside appeal to homes. Rain gardens are more than just beautiful, they also help reduce one of the largest sources of water pollution by naturally cleaning and controlling stormwater. Cisterns can store runoff from rooftops that can later be used to water outdoor plants and gardens.
Reducing CSOs is imperative to people and fish, since our waters are shared. 90 percent of the combined overflow includes polluted runoff and can also contain enough sewage to be both a public health and environmental risk.
RainWise Workshop – July 8, 7-8:30 pm, Sand Point Community United Methodist Church, 4710 NE 70th St
This workshop is free and open to the public: REGISTER HERE
For more information, visit the RainWise Program or call the Garden Hotline at 206-633-0224.