MID-YEAR REPORT AVAILABLE ONLINE

HR STORM has been working hard to teach Hampton Residents about storm water management. The committee's activities for the first half of fiscal year 2009 are available in the HR STORM Mid-Year Report.

RAIN WATER CISTERNS PART OF "GREEN" SCHOOL DESIGN FOR REDUCING STORMWATER RUNOFF

The City of Virginia Beach is building a new school and incorporating environmentally friendly designs. The roof slants to collect rain and funnel it into 50,000 gallon cisterns. The water will be used to flush toilets and is expected to conserve one million gallons of water per year. Cisterns also reduce stormwater runoff.

More green design plans are included in the WVEC It's Our Watch video report, "'Green' schools in Virginia Beach," and the online article, "Zero energy schools is ultimate goal for Va. Beach Schools."

To collect rain water on a smaller scale consider installing a rain barrel.

RAIN GARDENS FEATURED ON IT'S OUR WATCH

HR STORM has been encouraging the use of rain gardens to reduce pollution flowing into our waterways. Now, WVEC-13's It's Our Watch with Craig Moeller has reported on the benefits of rain gardens. Watch the report "Rain Gardens Can Improve Water Quality" or learn more about building your own rain garden.

MINI-GRANT PROJECT OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Every year, the education committees of the HRPDC award mini-grants to qualifying projects. The mini-grants are generally in the amount of $250, although the committees finance larger projects through cooperative funding. For the first time, the HR3 committees have selected a Mini-Grant Project of the Year and an Honorable Mention. The awards recognize projects based on community involvement, creativity, impact on students, and other factors. CLICK HERE FOR WINNING PROJECTS>>

ELEMENTARY WATERSHED GUIDE AVAILABLE

We All Live on the Water is a Newspapers in Education (NIE) publication, designed to help teachers meet SOL requirements while teaching important concepts about care of the environment to elementary students. We All Live on the Water incorporates articles, puzzles, and interactive class activities to teach concepts such as the water cycle, pollution prevention, stormwater management, and the importance of keeping sanitary sewer systems unclogged. A Teacher's Guide includes suggested resources and additional education activities. The SOLs, which are met by each article in We All Live on the Water and by the additional activities, are listed on the SOL chart at the end of this guide for easy reference.

CISTERN INSTALLED IN JAMES CITY COUNTY - Watch the WVEC Report
Cisterns are like large, underground rain barrels. They collect water from the roof via a system of drain spouts. The non-drinkable water can be used to water gardens and flush toilets. Watch the video or learn to make your own rain barrel using a garbage can.

TRASH CAN TO RAIN BARREL - A DIY project
Make your own rain barrel from a trash can following these do-it-yourself directions. You can purchase a rain barrel at many hardware stores, but if you prefer to make one yourself, this guide will show you to making one at home by using a heavy duty plastic trash can. It only takes a few minutes and the cost savings are substantial. CLICK HERE FOR INSTRUCTIONS>>

MEDICATION DISPOSAL - Flushing  is not the answer
Improper disposal of prescription or over-the-counter drugs adds chemicals to the water supply and/or soil. Though the concentration of these chemicals in surface waters is extremely low, the presence of these substances in the environment is emerging as an important issue. As with any household hazardous waste product, you should not flush these items down the toilet, down the sink, or place in recycling. CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW TO DISPOSE OF MEDICATIONS>>

Watch the video below to learn more about rain barrels.