Piedmont Park To Begin Recycling; Drills Well

Piedmont Park will begin a trial recycling program this Wednesday. The Piedmont Park Conservancy will place 50 bins around the park to collect plastic bottles and aluminum cans. The Conservancy will collect data for 90 days to see if the program is working and hopes to earn revenue by selling the plastic and aluminum to recycling companies.

Piedmont Park, like all of Atlanta, is held to the water restrictions issued by the City of Atlanta due to the extreme drought. As a result, the Conservancy has drilled a well (pictured) to provide enough non-potable water to protect the trees, Active Oval/Ball Fields and the open meadow. The goal is to find enough water underground that will pump water into Lake Clara Meer, which will then be used to water the park. Most of Atlanta's big festivals -- including Atlanta Pride, Dogwood Festival and Peachtree Road Race -- were kicked out of the park because of the drought. 

In addition to the well, the Conservancy is also incorporating various sustainable and water conserving approaches including rain gardens, cisterns to capture storm water runoff, rain barrels, and planting native species.