Green Light New Orleans’ rain barrel program is growing fast! Five months into 2020, Green Light New Orleans has received applications for more than 400 rain barrels. In the month of May alone, we’re on track to receive applications for almost 200 rain barrels! That means we’re receiving roughly one application every working hour! To put those numbers in perspective:

• In the first 2.5 years of the program (2016-2017), we received a little more than 120 applications for rain barrels.
• In 2018, we received applications for about 200 barrels.
• In 2019 we received applications for more than 250 barrels.
• In 2020 we’ve already far exceeded the total number of applications we received in all of 2019, and the year isn’t even half over!

“This is what we hoped for,” Green Light New Orleans Founder Andreas Hoffmann said. “We are very excited that New Orleanians are taking action to manage our water. As the amount of applications grows we are making sure that our installation numbers are growing too.”

This movement would not be possible without our past rain barrel recipients, who have told their friends, family members and neighbors about our program. And it certainly would not be possible without the support of Entergy Corporation which has donated $300,000 over the past two years to make this program possible.

“At Entergy, we’re committed to a cleaner, more sustainable environment—and our partnership with Green Light helps us support this commitment by addressing significant challenges of climate change through stormwater mitigation and carbon emission reduction across New Orleans,” said Patty Riddlebarger, vice president of corporate social responsibility at Entergy. “In addition to our charitable contribution, this partnership provides our employees a unique volunteer opportunity to help ensure a lasting impact in the communities and neighborhoods they call home.”

Entergy’s support in 2020 alone will help New Orleans residents capture an additional 15,000 gallons of water during each rain event and will provide half of the funding necessary for Green Light New Orleans to reach its goal of installing 600 rain barrels in 2020. That goal will increase to 1,200 in 2021.

We want to thank New Orleans and Entergy for their continued support!

To join or learn more about the movement, visit www.greenlightneworleans.org.