ADOPT A STORM DRAIN

BLAINE, Minn. – (Oct. 25, 2019) – Adopt a Drain is a new metro-wide program that is encouraging residents to take responsibility for one or more storm drains in their neighborhood. It’s meant to keep trash and leaves out of the storm drain catch basin to prevent flooding, and also as a way to improve water quality.

When it rains, phosphorus from the leaves on the street gets into the rain runoff, which follows the water system all the way into lakes, where it can cause a big problem.

“Which is what creates a lot of the algae blooms that you see in the summertime,” said Blaine’s water quality manager Rebecca Haug.

Those algae blooms can block sunlight from getting into the water, limiting plant life in the lakes, and then limiting habitat for fish and wildlife. The best way to stop that is just getting leaves and grass clippings out of the water runoff.

“We ask people to check them once a week,” said Haug.

On the website AdoptaDrain.org, you can sign up to keep a drain clean. You are encouraged to track your progress, including the amount of leaves and trash you remove.

“A lot of people don’t realize that everything we all do has an impact, and just by starting to make little changes and removing the pollutants just in your neighborhood will a huge impact on our water bodies.”

You can name the drain, and in Blaine, you can even get a sign to put up to let your neighbors know about your commitment.

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