You can now Adopt a Drain in Norwich. Here's why you should

NORWICH — If you have ever wanted to adopt a drain (and even if you have never heard of such thing), here's your chance to do so.

Norwich Public Works will start an Adopt a Drain program on Earth Day, April 22. People can volunteer to adopt any of the over 4,000 storm drains in the city. Every other week, or after a storm, the volunteer will clean the surface of the drain, and report what they find to Norwich Public Works. In turn, the adopter can name the drain and install a curb marker on it.

Other municipalities across the country have tried this program, and it seems like a good way to get people to care about water quality in their community, without something labor intensive, said Norwich Public Works Environmental Compliance Coordinator Emma Robinson.

“Education is a big thing, but I think letting people have power over the cleanliness of the area they live in is just as important,” she said.

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While Norwich Public Works will still clean storm drains on its own, volunteer work helps due to the large number of storm drains, Robinson said.

Storm drain debris is often leaves, trash, and dog waste. If the debris is small enough, it can get into the storm drain, and go straight into Norwich’s waterways. This volunteer cleaning effort can stop plastics and other litter from getting into the rivers and streams. Cleaning also stops excessive organic matter from getting in the water, which can cause algae blooms which could harm fish, Robinson said.

While there isn’t a pressing concern about Norwich’s waterways, it’s good to be diligent, Robinson said.

“This would just be us doing more of our part,” she said.

Hazards of blocked storm drains

For the street, blocked storm drains can cause hazards, like flooding, freezing in the winter, and leaves make for a slip hazard for cyclists, Robinson said.

Reporting the weight and contents of what was cleared may help Public Works prioritize things during street sweeping, Public Works Director Patrick McLaughlin said.

“We want to capture (debris) before it goes into the collection system,” he said. “It’s easier to remove it when it’s on the surface than when it gets down into the catch basins, and possibly into the pipes. It's more problematic then.”

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Following the work of Waukesha County, WI

When looking into other communities, one of the ones Robinson studied was Waukesha County, Wisconsin. The county started its Adopt a Drain program in 2020, which, incidentally, gave people something to do during the pandemic. The program was up to 100 adopted storm drains by the end of that year, said Jayne Jenks, a conservation specialist for the Waukesha County Parks and Land Use Department.

“I’ve heard of adopt a drain programs before, but no one was ever doing anything with data management,” she said, having learned about this model from an article on a Michigan program.

Waukesha County’s Adopt a Drain data is on its website. The program currently stands at 453 storm drains among 221 participants. It states that 2,210 pounds of debris has been removed in the program’s lifetime. Of the kinds of debris removed, organic matter, usually leaves, grass clippings, and dirt, shows up on a majority of the 3,261 drain cleaning reports made. The next largest category, plastics, only appears 219 times.

Waukesha County’s Adopt a Drain program is growing slowly, but seems to spread by word of mouth, or neighbors observing each other. This gets people actively involved, and helps educate the public on clean waterways, Jenks said.

“For years, our waterways were ignored and considered dumping grounds,” she said. “Those days are gone thankfully, and we realize our rivers are important to our cities, that we can revitalize them, and they bring people in.”

Norwich aims for 100 drains adopted

Once Norwich’s program starts, Robinson aims to hit 100 drains adopted, she said. That sounds like a realistic goal, McLaughlin said.

“Hopefully, it’ll be spread throughout the city,” he said.

How to get involved

If someone wants to volunteer for the Adopt a Drain Program, they can sign up at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf4K0zOe-rxiYSh18g6nJIdUc_xSW9AGamWWGULQualSv-cEA/viewform, or contact Robinson at erobinson@cityofnorwich.org or call 860-823-3798. More information can be found on Earth Day on Norwich Public Works’ webpage.

For anyone participating in the program, it's recommended they wear reflective clothing while clearing the drain. Also, they should never open the storm grate, and call Public Works if they find anything hazardous, according to the Adopt a Drain brochure.

People should clean the drains just before a rainstorm, and to also clean a 10 ft. radius around the drain to help keep it clear. People can also approximate the debris weight by comparing it to objects, like a pound is a loaf of bread, Robinson said.

This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Norwich Public Works starts Adopt a Drain to keep storm drains clear