ROCKPORT GARDEN CLUB

  

Rain Barrel Pick Up Date is May 9th at the Rockport Transfer Station,  

7 Blue Gate Lane.  Order instructions are below.

Note: On January 14, 2026 the Rockport DPW issued a Drought Stage Alert at Level 2 (Significant Drought.)   Residents and businesses are strongly encouraged to practice voluntary water conservation. Ongoing dry conditions make it especially important to reduce water use whenever possible. 

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The Rockport Garden Club and the Rockport DPW are again arranging Discounted Rain Barrels for purchase through the Great American Rain Barrel Program (produced in Massachusetts!).

In light of the recent outside water bans, rain barrels will play an important  role in gardening this year.

These eco-friendly barrels collect rainwater for your garden, reduce water usage, and lower your environmental impact. In addition to conserving water and reducing your water usage (and water bills), rain barrels help reduce pollution by preventing runoff from entering local streams & waterways. 

We have confirmed our delivery date of Saturday, May 9th.  Place your order online at www.greatamericanrainbarrel.com/community  Select “Massachusetts” then “Rockport” on the drop down menu.  Contact communications@rockportgardenclub.org with questions.

Together, we can help protect our water resources and keep Rockport sustainable.

Please note that the Rockport Garden Club makes no money on the sale of Rain Barrels.  It's a public service that supports our mission to promote cooperation in ecology and conservation. 

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2025 Update:

 

When the Town of Rockport made an early announcement of outdoor water restrictions for the coming season, due to the serious nature of the current drought, the Rockport Garden Club Environmental Committee doubled down on efforts to make our communities aware of the rain barrel offering that we were coordinating with The Great American Rain Barrel (TGARB) company. And it worked! Rockport and Gloucester residents went online and purchased 123 rain barrels, along with an assortment of accessories.

The weather felt like anything other than drought conditions, with unseasonably cool temperatures, rain, sleet and snow. But it was pickup day at the Rockport Transfer Station and an incredibly hardy set of garden club volunteers turned out to distribute all of the materials to very enthusiastic and grateful customers.

Many, many thanks to these volunteers who worked in shifts from 7am until noon on Saturday to make the distribution of these rain barrels go smoothly.

Special thanks go Lori Stevens, Business Manager of the DPW, who publicized the event to Town Residents and collaborated with The Great American Rain Barrel Company; and Mark Kenney, Rockport Transfer Station Manager, who provided the manpower to unload 123 barrels and ensured that the area was clear and safe for customer pickup.  Also, thanks to our onsite helper, Angel  Hernandez, who worked tirelessly alongside of us all morning. 

It is no exaggeration to say that every customer who came to pick up their order believed in the importance of water conservation efforts and thanked us for coordinating this important program.

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2024:  The Rain Barrel Program was another great success in 2024.  We delivered 65 barrels to residents.

Thanks for helping us conserve water!

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2023-

On Saturday, April 15th, 2023 more than 100 residents of Rockport picked up 150 rain barrels through a program sponsored by the Rockport Department of Public Works and the Rockport Garden Club. The rain barrel offering took advantage of a Community Program set up by The Great American Rain Barrel Company.

The Rockport Garden Club and the Rockport DPW have similar goals with regards to water conservation. Stormwater runoff is a major issue for coastal communities and the DPW takes stormwater pollution very seriously. 

Conservation is also one of the Rockport Garden Club’s missions and limiting municipal water use in gardens with rain barrels is a great solution.

Many towns in Massachusetts use The Great America Barrel Company. Rain Barrels are ordered online and the company ships the barrels to a central location to be picked up. The Select Board gave a thumb’s up to the Program because it’s a win-win for all and cost the town almost nothing.

The barrels were delivered to the upper parking lot at the Transfer Station on 18 pallets. Volunteers from the Garden Club worked with DPW volunteers to organize the pickup site. On the pickup day, residents simply showed a receipt and loaded up their cars.

“The process was seamless and we got stellar support from TGARB,” remarked Lisa Simms, member of the Club's Environmental Awareness Committee. Sherri Casey, President of the Garden Club noted that the barrels were received with gratitude. “A lot of people thanked us for instituting the program. It’s such a worthwhile endeavor.  We hope that this will be an annual event.”

The Rain Barrel Program is closed for this year, but saving and conserving water starts at home. Rain Barrels are readily available these days.  Water bans are likely to continue in the future and a rain barrel may end up being an indispensable tool for gardeners.