Donora to receive Penn State community garden
DONORA – Pennsylvania State University came up with an innovative concept to help reduce the amount of storm water that finds its way to Donora’s sewage-treatment plant.
The university will divert runoff water, treat it and use it to water a “rain garden” that will be included in a community garden to be established this growing season at Second Street and McKean Avenue.
“All of the water goes to a place where plants like a lot of water instead of into the sewer system,” said Laura Delach, a Master Gardener coordinator at the Washington County Penn State Extension Office.
The garden will fill vacant lots and become a model for others the office wants to establish across the county, with the next one likely to be created in Washington, Delach said.
The one in Donora will be terraced, using brick walls, and include raised beds to make the garden plots accessible to senior citizens and residents with disabilities.
It will have as many as 30 raised beds in a venture that also is supported by Donora Council and the Mon Valley chapter of the NAACP, said borough Manager Dennis Fisher.
“It’ll be real nice,” said Fisher, who added the property is owned by the borough.
Fisher said he is applying for a grant from Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency to develop the park, which also will include an area where Penn State Master Gardeners can give lectures.
Donora Public Library also has a community garden in the borough’s Donner Park at Ninth Street and Meldon Avenue.
Anyone interested in participating in the project should call the Penn State office at 724-228-6881.