GREER, S.C. — Greer residents who want to catch rainwater at home have until 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, to order a rain barrel for pickup at Lake Robinson Day, the free community event Greer CPW holds at its drinking-water reservoir on Saturday, Oct. 17.
The barrel sale is a partnership between the Greer Commission of Public Works and the University of South Carolina Upstate Watershed Ecology Center. The 55-gallon drums once held Coca-Cola syrup and were donated from Coca-Cola Bottling Company, keeping them out of the landfill.
Each barrel costs $55, which covers the cost of the installation kit. Orders are placed and paid online in advance, and no barrels will be sold the day of the event.
Stored rainwater can help reduce stormwater runoff and conserve water during periods of drought, while trimming what homeowners spend watering lawns and gardens.
Lake Robinson Day runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is free for all ages, with educational exhibits, lunch, kayaking, inflatables and outdoor yoga. Organizers list more than 25 exhibitors, tree giveaways, a rain barrel workshop and a blood drive, and the yoga session is capped at 40 participants.
Visitors are also asked to bring food and household items for Greer Relief, the local agency that helps neighbors with rent, utilities, food and household supplies.
Lake Robinson and nearby Lake Cunningham are the Greer CPW-managed reservoirs that line lakefront and near-lake neighborhoods north of the city.
