PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Longswamp Township Residents to be Part of the Pollution Solution
Rain Garden Workshop to help tackle polluted runoff and beautify properties
(Mertztown, PA) –– The Longswamp Township Environmental Advisory Council, has been awarded a
$5,000 grant by the Water Resources Education Network, a project of the League of Women Voters of
Pennsylvania Citizen Education Fund for its project titled: “Making a Difference in Your Own
Backyard: Rain Gardens for Water Conservation and Wildlife Habitat.” Longswamp Township is
working with the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society to teach residents ways to reduce polluted runoff
and remedy flooding problems using landscaping amenities like rain gardens and rain barrels. Rain
washes off fields, roofs, yards, and down streets, parking lots, driveways, and sidewalks carrying road
salt, motor oil, debris and other contaminants into waterways like the Toad Creek which flows to the
Lehigh River and eventually to the Delaware River.
“Everybody can do their part for clean water,” said Kate Harms, project chair and chairperson of the
township's Environmental Advisory Council. “Water in Longswamp Township is being polluted by
runoff from farm fields in rural areas and lawns in suburban areas. Rain gardens and rain barrels are
fairly easy to install and low cost. They help deal with water where it actually falls," explained Ms.
Harms. They can also help channel rain away from homes to prevent basement flooding.
Built in a shallow depression and filled with native plants, rain gardens are beautiful solutions that soak
up and filter polluted runoff from rooftops, driveways, parking lots and other hard surfaces. "They are
incredibly effective at reducing water pollution, especially when placed in clusters like in a
neighborhood,” continued Ms. Harms. “Like a sponge, rain gardens absorb water to replenish our
aquifers and filter it naturally through native plants that also attract birds and butterflies." Rain barrels
help capture and store rainwater for later use to water plants or to wash the car.
The group plans to conduct a demonstration rain garden workshop on _May 11, 2013. Workshop
attendees will have a hands-on opportunity to learn while doing during the rain garden construction.
Guest speakers will share ways residents can enhance their properties and replace lawn areas with
native trees and plants to create Birdtown habitats. Rain barrels will be offered to pre-registered
attendees at a nominal fee.
"Our goal is to encourage Longswamp families to install rain gardens and rain barrels on their own
properties to help filter pollutants and keep them from washing into local waterways. If each of us does
our part to protect nature, we'll ensure there is enough clean water for our families in the future,”
stated Ms. Harms. The partners plan to create and install interpretive signs that will educate visitors
about ways to create clean water solutions through attractive backyard habitats.
The project has been made possible through a Community Watershed Education Grant awarded by the
Water Resource Education Network (WREN), a project of the PA League of Women Voters Citizen
Education Fund. Grant funding is through the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s
Nonpoint Source Management Program and Section 319 of the federal Clean Water Act, administered by
the Environmental Protection Agency.
How can you help reduce water pollution? Every drop of rain you keep on your property helps to
keep our local waters clean. You can make a difference by installing rain barrels, rain gardens,
planting trees, and educating yourself. Other ways include picking up pet waste, properly disposing of
household chemicals, such as paints and cleaning supplies, sweeping driveways and sidewalks
instead of hosing them, and washing cars at car wash facilities or on lawns rather than in driveways,
where it can runoff to local streams.
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For more information on Longswamp Township Environmental Advisory Council activities, visit
their Facebook page at Longswamp Township EAC. Remember: only rain down the drain.
Join us and be part of the Pollution Solution.
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The Longswamp Township Environmental Advisory Council is a small group of township residents
that voluntarily act as an advisory board for local planning, land use, conservation, and other
environmental issues within and outside their borders.