Fergus Falls, MN – Before kicking off the new school year, students painted a white stencil of otters with an important “Save the Lake” message near storm drain inlets. Bella Harrington, Caitlin Yavarow and Maggie Proudfoot did the project on August 30th as part of the City of Fergus Falls work to reduce water pollution and bring awareness to residents that what is dumped into a storm drain pollutes our water sources.
Photo of Bella Harrington, Caitlin Yavarow, and Maggie Proudfoot during the Stenciling Project. (City of Fergus Falls)
Much of the pollution in areas streams and lakes comes from common, every-day materials, like household chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, gasoline, used motor oil and antifreeze, and litter. These substances are washed by rainwater from our streets, yards, driveways and parking lots into storm drain inlets. Contrary to what many people think, these storm drains don’t lead to wastewater treatment plants. They carry untreated storm water directly into area lakes and streams.
Deliberate dumping of hazardous materials into storm sewers makes the pollution problem worse. Motor oil is often dumped down storm drains, yet just one quart can ruin the quality of 250,000 gallons of water. Dumping oil and other hazardous substances is illegal in Fergus Falls. Residents are encouraged to recycle these materials instead. The stenciled message SAVE THE LAKE is there to remind citizens not to dump waste into storm sewers or contribute more pollutants to ordinary storm water runoff by littering, over fertilizing or sweeping yard debris into the street.
Municipal Storm Water Manager Matt Harrington pointed out that storm drain stenciling has been used successfully in other cities to reduce nonpoint source pollution. “Every citizen has a role in preventing pollution,” he said. “These kinds of projects work because they get government, youth, volunteers and businesses working together to solve a common problem.”
(Story courtesy of the City of Fergus Falls)