Barrels of Fun!

Roll Out the Barrels

Thank you to everyone who made Roll Out the Barrels 2013 such a success.  The barrels were gorgeous, the weather was beautiful, the food was fabulous, and the music was delightful.  But most importantly, over $2,000 was raised for the ACC Green School Program!  Here are a few photos from the event.  We hope to see you for barrels of fun next year!

Lily Anne Phibian

Barrels inside the Lyndon House lounge area.	Artist Teresa Kingery and family.	Artist Justin & Jul Sexton made The Way to the event.
Sean Arrington delighted us with his music.	Cindy Jamison & Teresa Yoder, talented sisters!	Artist Mike Ely stands by his barrel.
What a beautiful garden these barrels make!	Let our rain barrels add color to your home.	These barrels are as unique as you are.
Proud barrel owners!	Let the bidding begin!	Exterminate! Exterminate!
These ladies know the importance of environmental ed.	Dr., Who is this?	We have happy ACC Green School teachers!

 

Roll Out the Barrels

Artist: Christina Ward

“Rain, rain, go away, come again some other day.” We all remember repeating this rhyme as children. Lately, with all the recent weekend rains in Athens, we may have found ourselves saying it as adults, too. But what about when the rain does go away and we find “some other day” ends up being few and far between? How do we provide water for our thirsty plants and flower beds when the well-meaning government places us on an outdoor watering schedule?

Artist:  Carol Fox

I have a suggestion: Rain Barrels. The concept of a rain barrel is simple. It collects and stores rainwater from rooftops to use later. You can think of a rain barrel as a bank in which you place water to save for a non-rainy day. This water normally runs off your roof and into your gutter downspouts to become stormwater runoff. The problem with runoff is it can pick up nasty pollutants, such as oil, grease, bacteria, and sediment, as it travels to a storm drain or waterway. The creek, stream, or river it runs into is often part of the water source we pull our drinking water from. It really goes without saying, but we want to keep that clean.

OK. You have now decided you want to conserve water, reduce stormwater runoff, and have water available. You want a rain barrel. Where do you find one? There are several ways you can add a rain barrel to your home:

1) Make your own barrel. Videos and instructions can easily be found in an Internet search. For example, Paul James with HGTV offers a video and materials list for the DIY inclined. Depending on construction, the cost of building your own can be as low as $20.

2) Purchase one at your local home and garden center or order one online. Depending on the features you desire, a pre-made barrel can go for $50 - $250.

Artist:  Lorenza
"Chico" Rozier

    3) Come to Roll Out the Barrels. If you are looking for a functional rain barrel, but are also concerned with the aesthetics of your home, this is the place for you to pick up a barrel. Anyone can put out a boring, plastic drum to collect rain water. But you are an individual with a flair for the artistic. Roll Out the Barrels has 22 rain barrels created by local artists, each as unique as you are.  Athens Paint and Body applied a clear coating spray to each barrel to protect the art from the elements.

Artist:  Heidi Hensley



 

Want to know more about Roll Out the Barrels?  This free event is open to the public and takes place on Friday, May 17, 2013 from 5:30pm – 7:30pm at the Lyndon House Arts Center in Athens, GA.  The 22 rain barrels referred to are available at this event through a silent auction.  Proceeds from the auction benefit the Athens Green School Program, an initiative to provide environmental education to ACC schools.  The event features live music, food, and barrels of fun.  Most of the barrels are currently on exhibit at the Lyndon House.  Others can be found around town:  Jittery Joe's in Watkinsville, Terrapin Brewery, Cofer's Home & Garden Showplace, ACC Water Business Office, & ACC Water Resources Center.  You can vote for your favorite barrel in our Facebook album by "liking" the photo.  The barrel with the most votes wins the artist a kayaking trip for two from Big Dogs on the River and a gift certificate to Locos Grill & Pub.   






 

    Artist: Thomas Easton













Artist:  Teresa
Kingery

Happy Drinking Water Week!

It seems like there is always a week or day set aside to honor something nationally.  You know what I mean.  There is National Asparagus Month, Nanny Week, National Smile Month, Random Huggers Day.  This is just a sampling of the national awareness days in May.   Well, not to be left out, drinking water also has a special time for recognition.  This year it is celebrated May 5 - 11.  You might be saying to yourself, "Really?  Drinking water needs a special week of awareness?"
 
Well, yes.  Here in Athens many of us take our drinking water for granted. It seems odd to celebrate something that is here all the time: day and night, 24 hours a day, holidays, rainy days, whatever. The tap keeps flowing.  That kind of reliability is hard to find anywhere else. Only tap water delivers:  It protects your public health, provides fire protection, supports the economy, and enhances our overall quality of life.

Get answers to the
most Frequently
Asked Questions about
drinking water from
the Environmental
Protection Agency!

Imagine....

You get out of the bed in the morning, turn on your faucet to brush your teeth, and no water comes out... 
You flush your toilet, and nothing happens... 
Your home is on fire and when the fire department arrives, no water comes out of the fire hydrant... 
You are a business owner but have no restroom facilities or water to clean your store... 
You have no consistent or clean source of water to cook with or drink... 
Think of all the ways every single day that you utilize water--from bathing, to cleaning, to doing laundry, to drinking and cooking--everything we do and all the conveniences in life we take advantage of revolve around a clean and abundant water supply. Without it, society simply wouldn't be able to exist in the way it does.

Another important point:  Water is by far the least expensive of all utilities we take advantage of - electricity, gas, cable, phone, etc., but the only one that we absolutely cannot live without.  

O.K., so you now agree water is AWESOME and you want to celebrate it.  How does one go about honoring water?  Well, here are a few opportunities for you to put a spotlight on water this week.

1.  Read the blog in Water Conservation Station to realize why water deserves recognition.  (Check.)
2. Come to our Drinking Water Week Celebration and the Deadwood Guitar All-Star Jam at Locos Grill & Pub on Timothy Road, Wednesday, May 8 from 6:30 - 9:00.  Local musicians, such as Rick Fowler, Kip Jones, and Fester Hagood, will play various guitars handcrafted by Jason Booth, of Deadwood Guitars.  During the music, the Water Conservation Office offers give aways - WaterSense high-efficiency showerheads, aerators, and spray nozzles for hoses - you can put to use in your home to protect water.  We will also have the Saltine Cracker Challenge for those brave enough to try.  Take the challenge and discover how much you want some cold, clean water.
3. Take a tour of the J.G. Beacham Drinking Water Treatment Plant on Thursday, May 9 at 4:00.  Discover how we pump, filter, and treat this vital resource before pumping it to 98% of Athens-Clarke County's residents, schools, businesses, and industries. 
4. Thank one of our Drinking Water Treatment Plant workers for providing you with a service your life depends on.  All of these dedicated people make sure the water is clean and pumped to your home 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Even on Christmas!  Thank you!!

Now I ask everyone to go and get a tall, cool glass of delicious tap water and make a toast to this clean, vital liquid that was delivered to you in the comfort of your home.  Happy National Drinking Water Week. 


 

Farewell! Despedida! Adieu! Addio!

Farewell Everyone!

I am not going to lie my faithful bloggers, writing this blog has not been easy (I have avoided it for a week due to denial). I am here to say my final goodbyes as a Water Conservation Intern. Graduation is upon us.

Soon, I will be able to call myself a UGA ALUM. How crazy is that? Along with that title, I will take with me my time spent working as a Water Warrior. I can not thank the ACC Water Conservation Office enough for the experiences and the knowledge I have gained while working here. Marilyn, Laurie, Jackie, Nicki, Lauren, and Becky have been amazing and their work here in Athens has truly made a difference (my heart warms when I see the Conserve:Water U Waiting 4? bumper stickers).

I have been fortunate enough to attend and participate in many events with the Water Conservation Office.Within my first semester at the office I was even able to make a collection of short video clips for the Bob Snipes Water Resources Center with the help of Lily Anne Phibian. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QFIk2_UkyA) Looking back, it is difficult to choose just one event to be my favorite. In just this past year I was able to participate in the Ripple Effect Film Festival, the Athens Water Festival, Rivers Alive, the Christmas Parade and Float, and 2 Fix-A-Leak Weeks. Although these were the big names that are associated with the Water Conservation Office, the events and outreach programs done in the schools can not be overlooked! I will take with me all of the good memories I have of attending the Adopt-A-Class programs on Tuesday/Thursday mornings and being able to talk with students about the endless opportunities of jobs in water.

Working in water conservation, you can't help but find a new appreciation for water. I grew up a swimmer, lived on the Chattahoochee River, and loved all water related activities! I often took this precious resource for granted without realizing all the work and effort that goes behind the conservation and protection of our resource. I hope this blog is a weekly reminder of just how important water is and the responsibility associated with its protection. It is in EVERYTHING we do. Even in my favorite TV show!

Photo courtesy of www.quicklol.com

As my time ends, others begin. Keep reading and keep conserving! 

Sincerely,

Nicole Duffy-Intern