- Residents
Residents
You see them everywhere, but what are those drains in the street for? Where do they go? “Storm drains,” those grates in the street that most people call the “gutter,” channel rain (or “stormwater”) away from our houses and into the surrounding waterways to protect us from flooding. They flow directly to creeks, wetlands and the Bay, without treatment.
Storm Drains Connect Streets to Creeks
Storm Drains Connect Streets to Creeks
When rain falls and washes into the drain, it carries pollution on streets and sidewalks with it. The water flows directly to creeks, wetland and the Bay. Storm drains do not connect to the “sewer” or water treatment plant, like many people believe.
Litter, car wash water and pet waste are just a few things that hurt wildlife and ruin our area’s natural beauty if we don’t keep them off streets and out of storm drains. We’d love your help keeping our creeks and the Bay clean.
Click below for tips on what you can do:
- Always Use a Trash Can
- Take Household Hazardous Waste to a Drop-Off
- Use a Commercial Car Wash
- Think Before You Spray—Use Less-Toxic Pest Control
- Pick up Pet Waste and Dispose in the Trash
- Sweep Don’t Hose Your Driveway
- Tap Into the Rain
Pledge an action to keep the Bay clean and get a limited-edition notebook!
The Clean Water Program is thrilled to collaborate with Bay Area cartoonist Joanna Sokua who created the art for this campaign, showing with humor how storm drains connect streets to creeks.
Pledge an action to keep the Bay clean and get one of 200 notebooks with Joanna’s art—great to use as a nature journal or to sketch your local creek! Not among the first 200? We’ll send you a waterproof 3”x4” sticker to show your support for a clean Bay.
Click Here to Take the Pledge.
When rain falls and washes into the drain, it carries pollution on streets and sidewalks with it. The water flows directly to creeks, wetland and the Bay. Storm drains do not connect to the “sewer” or water treatment plant, like many people believe.
Litter, car wash water and pet waste are just a few things that hurt wildlife and ruin our area’s natural beauty if we don’t keep them off streets and out of storm drains. We’d love your help keeping our creeks and the Bay clean.
Wildlife that lives at the other end of these drains depends on clean water to thrive—including snowy egrets, ducks, red-legged frogs, freshwater turtles, crabs, rays, river otters, seals and more!
The Clean Water Program is thrilled to collaborate with Bay Area cartoonist Joanna Sokua who created the art for this campaign, showing with humor how storm drains connect streets to creeks.
Click below for tips on what you can do:
- Always Use a Trash Can
- Use Reusable Bags, Cups and Water Bottles
- Take Household Hazardous Waste to a Drop-Off
- Use a Commercial Car Wash
- Think Before You Spray—Use Less-Toxic Pest Control
- Pick up Pet Waste and Dispose in the Trash
- Sweep Don’t Hose Your Driveway
- Tap Into the Rain
Pledge an action to keep the Bay clean!
Pledge an action to keep the Bay clean! Although our supply of pledge giveaways has run out for this year, you can still make a pledge! You’ll help keep the Bay clean and reduce litter on our streets.
Click Here to Take the Pledge.