Fresh Meadows, New York – Assemblyman David Weprin kicked off his second rail barrel giveaway of the year at his Fresh Meadows District Office this week. The rain barrel distribution, which is running from July 17^th through July 21^st, is part of the NYC DEP Rain Barrel Program that aims to reduce water consumption and sewer overflows across the city. The rain barrels collect non-potable water runoff for use in gardening, lawn watering and other household chores by attaching to a home’s existing gutters.

If each 60 gallon barrel distributed by Assemblyman Weprin’s office in 2017 is used at least once, the residents of the 24^th Assembly district will have saved over 24,000 gallons of water, with each additional use doubling the amount of water saved. Residents who choose to install a rain barrel at their homes will also benefit from lower water bills.

“With rain barrels, residents in my district are now able to capture rainwater runoff from their roofs and store it for later use,” said Assemblyman David I. Weprin (D-Fresh Meadows). “Not only will this reduce water consumption and sewer overflows but will also help residents lower their water bills. I thank the NYC Department of Environmental Protection for participating in this incredible effort at my office to help make Queens a better, cleaner place for everyone.”