Oil Stains and Storm Drains
After a rainstorm, have you ever seen rainbows on the pavement? The swirls of iridescent colors are chemicals that leaked from vehicles. And although the rainbows are pretty, this oily mix of motor oil, gasoline, brake fluid, and antifreeze is ugly water pollution. These substances wash off parking lots along with many other pollutants, enter storm drains, and flow untreated into our streams!
We can help by tuning our vehicles, fixing leaks, and using less fertilizers and chemicals.
Design Your Own Storm Drain Marker!
Storm drains are designed to carry rainwater to streams. Storm drains do not treat or “clean” water pollution. This is why many cities and towns ask volunteers to mark storm drains. The markers educate people so they won’t dump litter, yard waste, or anything but water down a storm drain.
Storm drain markers are usually small ovals or rectangles that are painted or glued on top of a storm drain. In this limited space, challenge yourself to create catchy wording with a colorful graphic to get people’s attention and to communicate your message effectively.
Click here for a blank storm drain marker that you can print out and draw on. Talk to your local government about turning it into a storm drain label.
Take Action
Contact your local government and ask if they have a storm drain marking program.
Here’s a storm drain marker from Dallas Fort Worth. It lets people know “Don’t mess with Texas or its clean water!”
Additional Resources
NC DENR’s “Pollution Solutions” puzzle shows eight sources of pollution that may enter the storm drain. Can you find them all?
Try the Clean Water Campaign has a “Keep Streams Clean – Trash Relay Game”
Visit EPA’s “Nonpoint Source Kids Page” for more fun.
The Living Classrooms Foundation’s “Storm Drain Research” page shows different storm drain devices and invites you to design your own!
Kids
See the oil slick at the bottom of the picture? That's pollution!
You see it in every parking lot: turbo juice and tailpipe crud on the pavement.
