Adopt a Drain

April showers bring May flowers… and pollution to our lakes, rivers, and streams 

In Minnesota, April historically brings an abundance of rain. While the rain does help our environment in many ways, it also carries pollutants into our waters.

There is a common misconception that water runs into the storm drains on our streets and is filtered before it enters the environment. In reality, the heavy rains common in the spring wash the buildup of snow, trash, and pollutants from the wintertime directly into our lakes, rivers, and streams without any treatment.

Pollution from stormwater runoff is the most common and substantial threat Minnesota waters face to upholding healthy ecosystems. Water picks up pollutants like unnatural amounts of leaves and twigs, excess sediment like sand and dirt, salt from winter deicers, bacteria like E. Coli and other pet waste pollutants, gas and oil from cars, and more. This significantly affects water, causing growth of harmful algae, killing aquatic life, and contaminating our fish and drinking water sources. This is why it is imperative everyone is aware of steps they can take to reduce the pollution entering Minnesota’s beautiful waters. 

To improve water quality, the City is encouraging residents to sign up for the Adopt-a-Drain program. It is a simple, low time commitment action that can make a huge improvement in environmental health. 

Follow these four steps to participate:

  1. Sign up: Sign up to Adopt a Drain in your neighborhood.
  2. Keep your drain clear: Sweep leaves, trash, and other debris off the drain surface year-round.
  3. Track your impact: Estimate how much debris you collect and enter it into your online account so we can gauge the cumulative results of our work.
  4. Lead by example: Let friends and neighbors know about your commitment and, if they ask, tell them about small things they can do at home to prevent water pollution.
Cleaning stormwater catch basin of leaves