How Calgary is catching the rain and saving water with an innovative solution
This summer, Calgary’s skies have been working overtime. Yep, that was a lot of rain, eh?
It was one of the wettest seasons on record, but instead of just letting all that water wash away, there’s a clever solution to capture and reuse it.
Coke Canada Bottling has partnered up with Green Calgary and donated over 500 of their empty concentrate containers to be transformed into durable, long-lasting rain barrels.
These upcycled barrels give Calgarians an affordable way to save rainwater, reduce water consumption, boost drought readiness, and strengthen flood resilience. This is especially important in a city increasingly impacted by extreme weather.
How it works
Each barrel can store up to 208 litres of water, enabling Calgarians to save roughly 3,400 litres of water per year. Not only does that ease the strain on Calgary’s water system, but it can help build sustainable habits that benefit gardens, lawns, and shared environments year-round.
Once the barrels are retrofitted, they can last over 10 years in homes across the city.
“As Calgary’s Local Bottler, we’re proud to partner with Green Calgary in support of our community, taking meaningful action where we operate,” said Michael White, Director, Manufacturing, Coke Canada Bottling, Calgary. “Repurposing our concentrate barrels into rain barrels is a simple, impactful way for us to reuse our containers and support the drought preparedness efforts of Calgarians.”
Supporting local employment
But it gets even better. Thanks to a partnership with Goodwill Industries of Alberta’s job skills training program, they’re assembled by Calgarians facing employment barriers. This gives people valuable training and work experience. So every barrel is helping both individual households and the wider community.
Many may not realize that Coke Canada Bottling is proudly Canadian and family-owned. They operate locally in Calgary and have more than 400 employees that make, move, and sell some of the most-loved beverages Canadians enjoy, including Coca-Cola, Coke Zero, Diet Coke, Sprite, Fanta, and more.
In fact, many of the Coca-Cola products you purchase in Calgary were made local!
Get your own rain barrel today
The program is further supported by the City of Calgary’s Rain Barrels Rebate, making them all the more accessible and affordable.
Simply purchase your rain barrels and submit an application form with an original receipt. You’ll then receive $50 back per barrel (for up to three rain barrels per household). Easy! You can buy the barrels at Golden Acres Home & Garden.
From storms to solutions — Calgarians now have a simple way to put wet weather to work! Head down to Golden Acres Home & Garden at 620 Goddard Ave NE to get your barrel and start conserving water now.
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