Education & Action - Storm Drain Marking
 |
Quick Links
|
|
When rain falls on roads, the runoff water often goes into a storm drain to keep the road from flooding. Once in the drain, the stormwater runoff is piped to the nearest body of water. The problem is that the stormwater runoff is not treated or cleaned before it goes into a nearby creek, lake, river, or inlet. Anything that enters the storm drain that is not rainwater is pollution and may be toxic to aquatic life.
Nothing should ever be dumped or deposited into or near the storm drain. Marking or stenciling the drain lets people know that the drain leads to streams, lakes, and/or Puget Sound. Alerting people to the destination of storm drains is very important, since many people believe that stormwater is treated like sanitary sewer water.
Keeping drains clear of debris is also important to prevent flooding. In the fall, the City encourages citizens to
rake the storm drains near their homes on a regular basis to prevent flooding.
Storm drain marking and stenciling is an easy task done by community groups and individuals. If you are interested in either stenciling or marking storm drains in your neighborhood, contact Public Works at (360) 753-8588 or via
e-mail.