San Mateo Co. Promotes Rain Barrel Program Ahead Of Rainy Season

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA — San Mateo County residents are eligible for a rebate program that could provide them with free rain barrels as part of a county-wide effort to encourage people to save money and water.

The pilot, launched by Flows To Bay — part of the San Mateo County Water Pollution Prevention Program — offers barrels at $80 each, and applicants can apply for a rebate.

Capturing rainwater during the rainy season can help mitigate the current drought conditions and cut back on potable water used for irrigation. A rain barrel can collect 310 gallons of every inch of rain that falls on a 500 square foot roof area, according to the county. San Mateo County’s average annual rainfall is 25 inches.

“This program is an important step toward conserving and protecting clean water in our community,” said Marie Chuang, chair of the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County and councilmember at the town of Hillsborough. “Rainwater is a precious resource, and we have to start treating it like one.”

Reid Bogert, a stormwater program specialist for the county, said that preventing rainwater from flowing into streets and storm drains is a “win-win environmental strategy for restoring the health of our coastal waters.”

“A single rain barrel is small in scale compared to the amount of rain San Mateo County receives in a wet season,” Bogert said. “Still, if everyone is empowered to help restore our coastal environments, the cumulative impact will be considerable.”

Rain barrels can be ordered through Oct. 31 and picked up at a distribution event Nov. 13 at the San Mateo Public Works Department.

Visit flowstobay.org/pilot for more information.