hburgnews.com

This September, the Harrisonburg City and Rockingham County public works departments will hold a “distribution event” to give city and county residents the opportunity to purchase rain barrels and compost bins at a greatly reduced rate.

On September 11, 2010 the Harrisonburg Department of Public Works and Rockingham County Department of Public Works will hold a one‐day‐only backyard compost bin and rain barrel distribution event. This initiative will feature the Earth Machine Backyard Compost Bin and the SYSTERN Rain Barrel. Both products will be available to area residents on a first come, first served basis.

[Compost bins and rain barrels] will be available for only $45.00 and $55.00, respectively, tax included. The composter and rain barrel have regular retail prices of $100.00 and $120.00 . . .

Many streams and waterways in our area, including Blacks Run, Cooks Creek, Turley Creek, Long Meadow Run, Linville Creek, the South Fork of the Shenandoah River and others are classified by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) as impaired, or unhealthy, because of too much sedimentation. Using the [rain barrel] helps reduce sedimentation by reducing peak storm runoff and soil erosion while conserving a valuable natural resource. A roof area of 1,200 square feet (30 x 40 feet) translates to more than 700 gallons from one inch of rain.

This one day sale [...] will be Saturday September 11, 2010 from 9 am to 3 pm at: Rockingham County Offices Parking Lot, 20 East Gay Street in Harrisonburg.