Castanet – July 19, 2022
Yards and gardens in the Central Okanagan are greener than usual this summer thanks to all the rain earlier this year, but now it’s starting to dry out.
If you want to make the most of the rainfall and keep your gardens growing, a rain barrel might be on your wishlist. However, you won’t be able to get one through the Okanagan Basin Water Board’s WaterWise program this year.
A program offered by the OBWB in conjunction with the Regional District of Central Okanagan composter program, was suspended for 2022.
Rain barrels were sold at cost for about $85, but during the pandemic they were being dropped off at people’s homes.
“This year, the cost was so much higher. Not only for the rain barrels but for them to be delivered, and distribution,” explained Corinne Jackson, communications director for the water board.
“In the past we had pick up events, whereas, because of COVID, we were doing distribution of them. We were delivering them to people’s homes. With those three things, the cost–-it just wasn’t worth it for us.”