The rain in Blaine goes mainly down the drain.

It's true and that's a problem, says Jim Hafner, the city's storm water manager. In natural settings, rain falls on open land, soaks in and slakes the local foliage before filtering to the groundwater below.

In urban areas, rain and snowmelt flow off surfaces such as roofs and roads, into sewers, which sweep it away -- along with salt, sand, fertilizer and other contaminants -- into creeks, rivers and lakes. And when our urban lawns and gardens are thirsty, we pump drinking water to irrigate them.

As the Blaine City Council contemplates an ordinance to promote the creation of rain gardens to catch runoff, a garden is sprouting in Hafner's own yard, at 12309 Goodhue St. NE, in northern Blaine.

"I'm a storm-water geek," Hafner said. "I wanted to do something that would protect our water resources.

"Storm water is the No. 1 polluter of our surface waters. I don't think we can be that cavalier about it. It is either naive or arrogant to think that our water resource is always going to be there for us."

For the past three years, Hafner has taught classes to help gardeners conserve water, but follow-up surveys found people were unlikely to put the methods into practice.

So last year, with buy-in from his wife, Tricia, a gardener, the Hafners began investing elbow grease in a demonstration garden for the benefit of neighbors and interested others.

Starting next month, if the ordinance passes, Blaine residents who are willing to take street runoff can get help to create rain gardens.

For rain gardens built in the city's right of way between residents' yards and the streets, aid and materials would come from the city and local watershed district.

The Hafners' garden, which they created using all of the same resources that would be available to Blaine residents -- $600 in the form of city work for the curb cut, $550 in materials from the watershed district and $50 from the city for an informational sign -- cost the couple nothing but sweat equity.

Approaching their property, a visitor might notice the curb cut, near the driveway, much like any one would see at a street corner for bikes and wheelchairs. Then, a slight depression in the slope of the lawn, lined with wood chips and neat mounds of last year's coral bells, purple coneflowers and lobelia. Already, in early spring, stems of common rush were reaching for the sun, and the Matrona sedum was green and growing.

A passing neighbor stopped his van in front of the house, as others have done. Hafner broke off to explain the project. He expects to do a lot more impromptu teaching as spring progresses into summer.

When the snow was melting, he said, you could see the rivulets of water, flowing through the gutters and into the garden. Hafner figures his little garden collects water from three adjacent lots and Goodhue Street. Within half an hour, it has soaked into the sandy soil.

During the summer, the Hafners hope the captured water will take care of the garden's moisture needs.

"I don't think people think about capturing water to reduce the amount they have to put on the yard themselves," Hafner said. "The missing link in creating a rain garden is if you catch the flow, it will look nice and also save money."

Maria Elena Baca • 612-673-4409