Do you have a Rainy Drainy or maybe a Drain in the Neck in need of adoption in your neighborhood? Can you think of a clever name for a storm drain on your street that you pledge to keep clear of leaves and debris? Draper launched its Adopt a Storm Drain program and the city is eager to have as many residents as possible participate.

The Adopt a Storm Drain program originated in Minnesota circa 2014 and spread to cities nationwide. Former city employee Lucas Fowler got wind of it and got the ball rolling locally. It launched in Draper at the end of October, just as temperatures were transitioning sharply from 65-degree days to daytime highs in the 40s followed by cold nights, causing leaves to fall rapidly off trees. 

“Our goal is to keep the public aware of pollution and keep them engaged. It’s best for the well-being of the whole city when you have the community and local government working together to ensure storm drains aren’t getting clogged and our local waterways aren’t being polluted,” said Colton Konesky, Draper’s Storm Water Specialistspecialist.

The program is a year-round effort, not just keeping drains free of an abundance of leaves that can easily clog storm drains in the fall, though the need is great that time of year. Rather, it’s really about preventing the pollution of storm water from construction projects, litter, plastic and other refuse that is carried by wind or water to storm drains year-round. If not cleared, those pollutants can enter waterways including the lakes, rivers and creeks the storm drains eventually flow into. “Most storm drains connect to those waterways and that’s where it’s going to go. By removing the small or large amount, we’re going to help reduce the amount of pollution going into our waterways, resulting in cleaner and healthier bodies of water,” Konesky said. 

Keeping storm drains clear has the added benefit of staving off flooding along with water and ice accumulation on roads, allowing rain and snow melt to flow down the drains as intended. “There are aspects of flood prevention to this program as well,” Konesky said. 

Some residents have adopted a single storm drain while others have adopted multiples in honor of family members. Draper resident Linnea Charnholm quickly signed up to participate in the program, something she considers a convenient and easy way to keep the community clean and the drains free flowing. “I look out my window and I see this storm drain across the street. It’s often plugged up with leaves and dirt or debris. I see the water pooling when it rains. We think of drains as this black hole, but it does go somewhere, to a river or a wastewater treatment plant, so it’s important to keep that clear of things that shouldn’t be there, things that are clogging it up,” she said. Charnholm named hers “Rainy Drainy” and she’s tempted to adopt more. “I’ve seen a lot of drains that need some care,” she said. 

Residents can participate by visiting the city’s website where they’ll find a map of all the storm drains in the city. From there, you can find and select a storm drain and begin the adoption process, including the opportunity to name your drain. “We’ve seen fun names like H2Flow, Drain in the Neck and Drainy McDrainface,” Konesky said.

Names must be appropriate because they’re visible on the city’s website and participants pledge to follow safety guidelines while clearing their drains, including being aware of and visible to traffic, not sticking hands or feet in the storm drain, and not attempting to lift the drains. That job falls to the city, as does hazardous waste clean-up. “We don’t wany want anyone touching hazardous waste. Contact Draper’s Stormwater Division at 801-576-6331 to deal with it,” Konesky said.

More information can be found and residents can apply at the following link:

www.draperutah.gov/news/news-post/adopt-a-storm-drain-program-needs-volunteers/