FAIRMONT — While capturing rainwater to water plants is nice, the City of Fairmont’s stormwater crews are handing out 25 rain barrels for a much deeper reason.
“The thought is getting water to infiltrate into the ground, which lowers the amount of water that’s going into the streams, which lowers erosion, so there’s less sediment and silt in the stream,” John Carson, the City’s Water Utility Manager, said. “It’s about cleaning up the streams and watching hot spots like the salt sheds and stuff.”
City officials will hold a seminar May 30 in Palatine Park to educate residents about the importance of keeping rainwater from flowing into the river and managing pollution. At the event, officials will also hand out rain barrels to residents for the purpose of diverting rainfall from their gutter downspouts into the barrels. Mike Bragg, the city’s wet weather manager, said the event is usually well attended and all the barrels are taken by the end of the seminar.
“It’s first, come first served,” Bragg said. “I’ve got 25 barrels. Come up into it if you want to. You’ve got people calling and registering ahead. If you want to give me a call and I’ll reserve your barrel for you. If you just show up and I’ve got barrels left over, we’ll put your name on the list and hand them out.”
The rain barrel program is part of managing an MS-4, or Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection defines an MS-4 as a water conveyance or system of conveyances that are owned by a state, city, town, village or public entity that discharges to the waters of the US.
It’s designed to collect or convey stormwater and is not a combined sewer and not part of a sewage treatment plan. The point of MS-4 systems is to prevent stormwater from washing harmful pollution into waterways.
Carson showed a before and after photo of the Monongahela River prior to when the city started work to clean it up. Carson said the water was absolutely disgusting. After a stormwater management program was developed for the waterway, fish could live in it again.
“The theory of it is, it helps eliminate water discharging into the streams and things so you can conserve that water and give the homeowners the ability to store water instead of using city potable water to water their plants and gardens with,” Carson said.
Carson added the amount of water the barrels retains is little, but it’s a good opportunity for public outreach and education.
Keeping the river’s water quality clean is important to the city.
“What Fairmont’s trying to do with a lot of investments into our parks and our recreation, we’re really trying to add access to river points. Thinks like kayak drops or fishing piers, especially as we’re developing the rail trail along the riverside,” Communications Manager David Kirk said. “Little things like this where we can inform people on keeping the rivers and streams clean, it creates an environment more conducive to these broader things of river recreation we’re trying to tap into in Fairmont.”
Above all, no one likes a dirty river. Or dead fish and fishing is fun, relaxing sport.
“You guys who like to fish, you understand the importance of clean streams,” Carson said. “We’re here to manage what the good Lord gave us in this area and make it clean. That’s what we’re here for.”