Brown’s Hardware and the RainSmart Program have teamed up to offer rain barrels at a discount to help fight stormwater in the City of Falls Church.

Brown’s Hardware is selling rain barrels normally priced at $125 for $100. City of Falls Church residents are eligible to apply for a grant from the RainSmart program for $50 each of up to two rain barrels. Brown’s has a rain barrel on display at its store.

 The RainSmart program is managed by the Falls Church Village Preservation and Improvement Society (VPIS) and supported by the City of Falls Church. It is intended to help City of Falls Church residents implement practices that help rainwater soak into the ground where it falls to prevent local flooding and protect water quality locally and in the wider Chesapeake Bay watershed.

 RainSmart grants are also available to support landscaping projects, like rain gardens and conservation landscapes, that help reduce stormwater runoff. City residents can apply for grant funds to cover up to 50 percent of the cost of a project or $1,500, whichever is less.

Funds for both rain barrel and rain garden grants are limited. Applications for rain barrel grants will be considered on a continuing basis until available funds for the year are committed.

For more information about the RainSmart Program and for rain barrel and rain garden applications, visit vpis.org/environment/rainsmart-program.

For questions about the RainSmart Program, send an email to RainSmartFallsChurch@gmail.com.

Those interested in volunteering time to chair or co-chair one of the VPIS programs, VPIS can be contacted at vpisfc@gmail.com or vpis.president@gmail.com.