Celebrate Earth Day

Help St. Cloud celebrate Earth Day by adopting a drain today! This is an opportunity to stay connected to the community, become more educated on area water quality, work together, and make a real difference for the environment. 

For more information on how to adopt a drain, visit www.Adopt-a-Drain.org or call Noah Czech at 320-255-7226.  

Over 400 Storm Drains Adopted in St. Cloud

In April 2020, the City of St. Cloud launched a new Adopt-a-Drain program to allow residents to adopt storm drains in their neighborhoods. The goal of the Adopt-a-Drain program is to engage residents and business owners in protecting area rivers, lakes, and wetlands by volunteering to keep their adopted storm drains clear of sediment, trash, yard waste and debris. In 2022 the program strengthened to include 44 new participants, for a program total of 226 local residents who are helping protect local waterways by adopting 421 area storm drains. Adopters reported an estimated 5,200 pounds of debris collected from local storm drains and disposed of properly. The program has kept nearly 17,000 pounds of debris out of waterways since its inception. 

Keeping storm drains clean protects our environment by protecting waterways from polluted stormwater runoff that flows unfiltered from our streets into local waterways. In addition to trash, road salt and chemicals; organic debris like leaves and grass clippings also threaten the health of our waters. Decaying leaves and grass that wash into storm drains release nutrients into lakes and rivers that feed excess growth of algae.

How to Adopt

After creating an account at www.Adopt-a-Drain.org, residents can claim one or more available storm drains. Tips on how to be safe while cleaning the drains are provided. Everyone who adopts drains in the St. Cloud area will receive a yard sign, a reusable bag, and a how-to packet. Adopters are also encouraged to pick-up trash in their adopted drain area as well as sharing ideas with neighbors on how to protect our waterways. 

The Adopt-a-Drain program focuses entirely on the importance of recognizing our impact on local water quality and doing what we can to help. In conjunction with the Adopt-a-Drain program, storm drain art projects are being implemented throughout the City to further express the significance of keeping storm drains clear of litter and debris because they are directly connected to area waterbodies.