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Washtenaw County Officials Offer A Unique Way To Keep Your Basement Dry

Rain Garden
James Steakley
/
commons.wikimedia.org

Rain gardens can help reduce the risk of flooding, in an eco-friendly manner.

Spring has arrived; with it come certain challenges. Wet basements are one challenge that as many as 60 million Americans deal with, annually.

Local officials are offering a solution to the problem: build a rain garden. Some officials say much of problems lies in rain water not being properly diverted away from the home. Susan Bryan is the Rain Garden Coordinator for Washtenaw County. Bryan says other than their ability to prevent basement floods, rain gardens also help the environment by trapping pollutants that would otherwise filter into nearby fresh water sources. Bryan also stated another way to ensure a dry basement is to make sure gutters properly move water away from the foundation.

Residents seeking additional information about the county's rain garden program can find it at http://www.ewashtenaw.org/raingardens

Before joining the WEMU team in 2010, Daniel Long was a listener and active WEMU volunteer. He first came to the artform we call jazz through his first love: 20th century American Literature. It was through the depiction of a raucous Charlie Parker club date that gave Daniel a thirst to know more.