Storm Drain Art

What connects us to the water, plants, and wildlife we don’t see? What connects us is something we do see every single day. It is the storm drain in front of our homes, schools, offices, parks, grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations. This lowly, unassuming, gray structure is a major gateway joining our everyday activities to our rivers and ocean. It is there to take rain away from the land in storms and to prevent flooding. When only rain goes down that drain, our waters stay healthy. But rain will pick up what’s on the ground. When we have pollutants like pet waste and litter on the ground, when we use fertilizers incorrectly, when we put oils and chemicals on the ground, we have unhealthy water.

This project is part of a larger campaign to lift the lowly storm drain to a level of prominence, so we are reminded of our connection to our rivers and ocean. We are reminded that our actions impact the wildlife and local economies that depend on our waters staying healthy.