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My bad, I didn't read the article through, 275 gal is not your typical "barrel", that's the size of a fuel oil tank. As for infrastructure, a drip watering system is the best way to use rainwater efficiently, it's common out west. Shlepping water by hand to a garden of any size is a huge PITA.

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1. The article says 275 gallon barrels, how did you manage to get from there to "presumably 55 gallon"? 275 is about 90% of your storm.

Better idea is to use the whole surface of the city to calculate that to make any difference we need few orders of magnitude more barrels than 55 thousand proposed.

So, it is more of a "how to get free water for your garden" plan rather than "save our sewers".

2. I am not sure what kind of infrastructure you are talking about, - like watering can?

This seems vitally important in the city right now. sarcasm intended

Fulop has upset a lot of the mommy voters because of his lack of improvement of the public schools. Looks like the rain barrel initiative will help win some of those mommies back.

Hoboken did this months ago, well before gardening season.

I went and plunked down $100 for my 40-gallon barrel from Lowes.

Its effect on the sewer load is nil, of course, but I like having that extra water for my flowers in-between downpours.

"Digging up the *crappy* sewers," now that made me lol, Brewster. I would like a rain barrel, if only to collect enough water for the garden but they're only available on T & Thurs from 9-2.
As most of us are working in NYC, M-F from 9-6 (to pay our inflated property tax bills) how will we manage to pick up?

Wish they available here in the downtown at the Farmer's Market or on a Saturday at the JC Municipal Authority.

This is "sewer theater" if you do the numbers. Even a small 500 sq ft roof will shed 41.6 cubic feet (500/12) in a 1" storm, that's 311 gallons. A presumably 55 gallon barrel will capture barely a sixth of that. Lesser storms generally don't stress the system. Sure it's great for watering the garden if it's the season and you have the time or infrastructure to use the rainbarrel, but it's impact on the sewer system will be non-existent.

I guess anything to divert the discussion away from actually digging up the crappy sewers and fixing them is considered a win.

Jersey City to launch citywide initiative to collect rainwater

By Mike D'Onofrio | The Jersey Journal
on July 20, 2014 at 7:47 PM

Jersey City residents will soon be able to capture hundreds of gallons of water with their very own rain barrel.

Mayor Steven Fulop and the Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority, in partnership with Sustainable JC and the Jersey City Environmental Commission, will hold a press conference tomorrow to announce the Jersey City Rain Barrel Initiative.

The initiative is a sustainable plan to collect and filter runoff water, reduce flooding, minimize pollution and energy and also save money.

The rain barrels will connect to residents' downspouts, and can be used to water yards and gardens with collected rain water from roof runoff.

The goal is to distribute 200 rain barrels to residents at a low cost during the next two years, Fulop said.

"It is through the collaboration of the city, community organizations, and the residents that we can create a more sustainable Jersey City," Fulop said.

"Each summer a large percentage of runoff water floods our sewers. However, with the use of rain barrels, we can conserve nearly 275 gallons of free water with just a quarter inch of roof runoff, therefore preserving our municipal water systems and benefiting our environment."

The press conference is scheduled for 10:45 a.m. at the Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority, 555 Route 440.

The 200 rain barrels will collectively gather about 55,000 gallons of storm water every season that would otherwise enter the city's sewer system and put rain water to good use during the dry summer months.

Rain barrels can be purchased at a discounted price of $25 through the Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., the officials said.
For more information, call the Resident Response Center at (201) 547-4900

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... tainability_purchase.html