Information from King County

Wondering if a rain garden or cistern is right for you? Stop by the Green Zone at the Delridge Day Festival to meet gardening experts and get tips on managing stormwater runoff at home.

The free community event is set for Saturday, Aug. 17, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Delridge Community Center and Park, 4501 Delridge Way S.W., Seattle.

King County and City of Seattle are sponsoring this year’s Green Zone to share information about the RainWise Program, which offers rebates to cover up to 100 percent of the cost to install cisterns and rain gardens on eligible properties in the Delridge, South Park, Highland Park and the Barton/Fauntleroy neighborhoods in West Seattle.

Rain gardens are more than just beautiful to look at; they help solve one of the largest sources of pollution problems for Puget Sound and local waterways. King County is working with neighbors to battle stormwater pollution and prevent heavy rains from overwhelming the sewer system and carrying pollution into area waterways.

To receive a rebate, residents must live in an eligible combined sewer basin. The RainWise Program also serves City of Seattle’s Ballard, North Union Bay, Windermere and Montlake neighborhoods. A map of eligible basins and more information on the program is at www.rainwise.seattle.gov.
The Seventh Annual Delridge Day Festival is a community-organized event to celebrate all the Delridge neighborhood has to offer. Look forward to live music, picnic games, face painting, bouncy house, skate competition, and loads of interesting vendors. Environmental organizations are gathering in the Green Zone to provide one-stop shopping for all kinds of goods and information.

Additional information about the RainWise Program is available at http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/wastewater/CSO/BeRainwise.aspx.