Rain barrel program could come to Brighton as a way to conserve potable water and save on utility bills

Rain Barrel by Waldemar Brandt. Free Use Domain. Upsplash.

By: Dan Jones, Northumberland 89.7 FM, Local Journalism Initiative

The Municipality of Brighton is one step closer to implementing a rain barrel program. This idea came from a resident at a recent Environmental and Sustainability Advisory Committee meeting after citing the program in other municipalities in Alberta.

A staff report presented to Council Monday evening suggested the cost of this program would be $15,000 to the municipality. Two local barrel suppliers have expressed interest in storage units.

Councillor Jeff Wheeldon said this is a win not only for the community, but the environment as well.

“The win was at the very beginning when they got the rain barrel in the first place. So, if we can use the same amount of money or less to get people getting that rain barrel in the first place, that’s the real win,” said Wheeldon.

The staff report stated that rain runoff from rooftops would be collected and stored for later use of watering gardens, lawns and landscapes, helping to reduce stormwater runoff, conserve potable water, and reduce utility bills. Brighton has a meter-based water program.

Council did discuss the possibility of offering a utility bill discount for homes, which participate in the rain barrel program, but Council decided that purchasing an inexpensive barrel will inherently lower your water bill. As well, it will be difficult administratively to police who has purchased a barrel.

“I respect the use of rain barrels to be recognized as a positive thing, a pro-social thing,” explained Wheeldon. “And so, I do want to say a big thank you to everyone who is using rain barrels. It makes a difference to our entire water system. It makes a difference to your yard and all the critters that live there. A shoutout to everyone who has a rain barrel, that’s fantastic.”

The cost of the barrel to the homeowner would be $50, with the supplier directly being reimbursed by the municipality, so the homeowner would realize the savings immediately.

Any unused money from the 2025 budget for rain barrels will be available for residents in the spring.