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Charleston's First Water Week
posted 06/23/09
12:25 pm
Workshops include boat maintenance, harbor tours and water conservation in the home. All workshops are free and open to the public.
The Charleston Water Week is hosted by The Sustainability Institute and Charleston Waterkeeper, and sponsored by the Ashley Cooper Stormwater Education Consortium, Carolina Clear’s stormwater pollution education and awareness initiative in the Lowcountry.
Stormwater is one of the greatest threats to surface waters, said David Joyner, Clemson extension natural resources agent and coordinator of the Ashley Cooper consortium.
As development spreads, so do the areas of impervious surfaces, such as roads, roofs, parking lots, driveways and sidewalks. Water that runs over these surfaces picks up pollutants, which are carried to lakes, rivers and estuaries untreated.
“The urban landscape was engineered to drain runoff quickly and untreated to our rivers, creeks and estuaries,” Joyner said. “Incorporating features around your home such as rain gardens and rain barrels helps to reduce stormwater runoff and its associated pollution.”
Two workshops — rain gardens and rain barrels — will show how water-quality and water-quantity management work together. Participants will learn how to transform a typical landscape into a
Also, guided tours of the Carolina Yard will explain the principals of the program, which provides guidance on environmentally friendly home landscaping.
The day’s events include a picnic-style lunch free to workshop participants. The rain barrel workshop is free, but rain barrel kits can be purchased for $75. Participants who purchase the kits get to build and take a finished rain barrel home. Rain barrels typically cost about $100.
On July 6, The Sustainability Institute, in sponsorship with Charleston Water Systems, will host an interactive “water wise” workshop that will demonstrate innovative ways to save water — and money — in the home.
The workshop is from
Water Week closes July 12 with a party and celebration at Bowens Island Restaurant.
Bethany Burgee, sustainability consultant at The Sustainability Institute, said the region’s culture and history are based around its waterways.
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