On a September morning at a home in Moanalua, Grant Herbet of Pono Home is using a power drill to cut a hole in the gutter’s downspout in order to connect it to a 50-gallon rain barrel, which will catch rainwater flowing off the rooftop and can be emptied via a spigot by the homeowners as they water their garden. In less than 10 minutes, he is finished with the installation.
The installation of the brand-new rain barrel is part of a pilot program — the Rainwater Capture Incentive Program — started by the nonprofit Mālama Maunalua, which awarded free rain barrels, and other green stormwater infrastructure, to nearly 300 households across Oahu.
With the pilot no longer accepting applicants, Mālama Maunalua is now hoping to capitalize on what they learned, teach more people and organizations about rain barrels and raise additional funds to expand the program, according to Weiant…