School and community organizations in Porter County are invited to apply for a grant that can give them up to two rain barrels to be installed in public spaces to become active stewards of local watershed water quality.
The grant is available through Porter County Recycling & Waste Reduction, thanks to funding provided in part by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Lake Michigan Coastal Program.
“We are a big proponent of water quality,” said Therese Haller, executive director, Porter County Recycling. “We sponsor household hazardous waste collection events to give Porter County residents the best choice to dispose of products like chemicals and poisons without harming our water quality. It is logical for our agency to promote the use of rain barrels as a way to reduce the amount of pollutants impacting watersheds.”
Haller said examples of organizations that can apply for the grant include homeowners and property owners associations, community gardens, schools and parks, and those applicants can use rain barrels in public greens spaces, such as gazebos, parks and gardens.
“Applications will be judged on innovation, effectiveness, transferability, and sustainability,” she said. “We hope these organizations are able to model rain barrel use and help encourage homeowner use.”
Grant applications are available on www.PorterCountyRecycling.org and must be submitted electronically by Feb. 28. For more information, contact Therese Haller, 465-3615.
Porter County Recycling & Waste Reduction is an agency dedicated to improving the environment and quality of life by providing services and educational programs which help residents reduce, reuse, and recycle.