Storm drain-marking program launched in Easley

Published: February 16, 2011

The storm drain-marking program reminds people that what goes down storm drains ends up in our waterways — and affects everyone’s quality of life. image by: City of Easley

EASLEY – To help educate the public about the environmental risks of pollutants washing into storm drains, then into rivers and streams, the city of Easley and the Pickens Countywide Stormwater Consortium have launched a storm drain-marking program.

The goal of the program, based on similar national and regional initiatives, is to inform residents and businesses that storm drains and ditches are part of a large system that funnel into surface waters, not treatment plants.

In other words, what goes down storm drains ends up in waterways and affects everyone’s quality of life. Stormwater runoff is the nation’s No. 1 source of pollution, putting streams, rivers, lakes and other waterways at risk.

Tommy Holcombe, building official for Easley, said, “The city of Easley is concerned about water quality and the quality of life for our citizens. Marking our storm drains will raise awareness that stormwater is not treated. 

“To protect water quality, only rain should go down the drain.”

The stormwater awareness campaign aims to make connections between actions on the land and the health of waterways, said Katie Giacalone, statewide coordinator of Carolina Clear, Clemson University’s stormwater pollution education and awareness initiative.

The city of Easley is a member of the Pickens Countywide Stormwater Consortium, a regional partner of Carolina Clear working across municipal boundaries to help solve stormwater problems.

Volunteer opportunities are available for groups to get involved in their communities and provide long-term educational resources to remind the public that stormwater flows to waterways, Giacalone said.

“These actions are connected via the watershed and the storm drain system, and they lead to an overall improved quality of life,” she said.

Groups interested in participating in the program should contact Cathy Reas Foster, an Extension agent at the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service in Pickens County, at 864-878-1394 ext. 111 or creas@clemson.edu.

The Environmental Protection Agency emphasizes public education as a fundamental component in reducing stormwater runoff pollution. 

The EPA and the state of South Carolina require that 72 municipalities and counties in the state educate and involve the public as part of the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) stormwater permit program.

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Carolina Clear

Carolina Clear is a stormwater education and awareness program of the Clemson University Restoration Institute and the Center for Watershed Excellence. The program’s goal is to minimize polluted stormwater runoff by educating the general public, youth, builders, developers, homeowners and government officials about how they can keep water in the state’s streams, rivers and basins as clean as possible.