Rainwise at Redbud School

Rain at Redbud School

Redbud School sits beside a small hill. Its courtyard is lower than the bus loop. During heavy rain, water ran down the paved slope and collected in a low corner near a doorway. Students saw puddles on the paths and sometimes had to step around them.

People at the school first adapted to the wet weather. On rainy days, students wore boots and used a covered walkway. These actions changed what people did, but they did not change the courtyard.

The school also changed the environment. Workers planted a rain garden in the low corner and replaced one strip of solid pavement with porous pavers. Porous pavers have spaces that let some water soak into the ground. Gutters directed water from the roof into rain barrels.

The rain garden held some water for a short time. During dry weather, water from the rain barrels could be used to water the garden. The new project reduced puddles on some paths, but the garden and gutters needed care. Students helped keep leaves out of the gutters and watered young plants when needed.

After the project, the caretaker counted the days with puddles in four courtyard places during four rainy weeks. The graph shows the results.