Only Rain Down the Drain - PRWC stormdrain marking project

In keeping with Pomperaug River Watershed Coalition’s mission of public outreach and education, in 2013, we began efforts to implement a stormdrain marking project. Selected stormdrains in the Woodbury, Southbury, and Bethlehem areas are being marked with a 3-by-5-inch placard reminding residents to watch what flows into the drains because those drains flow into local waterways. In effect, the markers provide a gentle reminder that only plain rain should go down the drain. When rain and storm water runoff pick up pollutants like fertilizers, pesticides, pet waste, automotive fluids, and more from the ground and carry them to storm drains that flow into local streams and rivers, those pollutants ultimately flow to Long Island Sound. Stormdrains to be marked in this effort were selected based on their proximity to local streams areas classified as impaired by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. They were also selected for their overall visibility, focusing on those located in residential areas or along popular foot and bicycle traffic routes. PRWC is marking more stormdrains this summer. With over 700 drains marked in the past three years, a lot of progress has been made. This year we aim to mark over 200 more. To do this we are looking for volunteers to help us throughout August and September. If you or a group of volunteers are interested in helping, please contact us at outreach@pomperaug.org or 203-263-0076. Volunteers will be given all the necessary supplies and assigned a segment of road. This is a great opportunity to get out and explore new areas.