Coaldale Rain Barrel Rebate Program approved

Posted on May 23, 2024 by Sunny South News

By Nikki Jamieson
Sunny South News

A new rain barrel rebate program has been implemented by the Town of Coaldale.

In December 2023, the Minister of Environment and Protected Areas, Rebecca Schulz, had sent out a letter to all elected municipal leaders in the province, requesting them to take action to prepare for a severe drought.

The town gets its water from the City of Lethbridge, and whatever water restrictions the city sets will be followed by the Town, be they voluntary or compulsory restrictions. The Town can impose additional restrictions on top of this.

So, during a May Committee of the Whole meeting, Coaldale town council decided that prior to the city implementing any kind of restrictions, they should lead by example and adopt a number of short-term voluntary water conservation measures, such as limiting washing of town vehicles; reducing the amount of water used for street sweeping by up to 50 per cent of normal operations; reduce the amount of water used to wash signs; engage in hydrant flushing as per health and safety requirements and operational needs only; to not plant decorative flowers on Mainstreet; reduce the irrigation of parks and greenspaces by 10 per cent; and propose immediately implementing a Rain Barrel Rebate Program. 

The Rain Barrel Rebate Program was introduced during council’s regular May 13 meeting. The program would provide town residents and businesses with a 50 per cent rebate on the purchase of a rain barrel, for a maximum of $50 per barrel. There will be a limit of one barrel per application, and rebates will be handed out until the designated rebate fund has been depleted. The town will require proof of purchase in the form of a receipt.

Funding will come from savings generated through the implementation of other water conservation measures like the ones mentioned above, along with any other additional measures that may come into effect should Lethbridge impose voluntary or compulsory water restrictions.

When asked how the application would work, especially for multi-family units, Jonathan Wensveen, manager of government relations for the Town, said that it would be per civic address.

 “In so far that each of the units at that civic address are different, they would be able to apply for a rain barrel each,” said Wensveen. “It would be a credit on their utility bill for that month they’ve applied for that program.”

When asked if the Town would be selling rain barrels, as they had so previously, Wensveen said the plan moving forward was just to issue rebates for them, “to kind of get out of the procurement game of storing rain barrels and repairing rain barrels.”

Council unanimously passed a motion to direct administration to immediately implement a Rain Barrel Rebate Program with a program fund of $15,000.