Student art a reminder to keep waterways healthy

A lot of people don't realize that storm drains connect cities to local bodies of water, meaning that people’s actions on land can really impact waterways.

That’s why DNREC and the Nanticoke Watershed Alliance asked students in Delaware to create art that reminds citizens of their role in keeping rivers healthy.

Storm drains are important when it rains because they keep roads from flooding. They transport water quickly off streets and into a local river or creek, but they don't clean the water. Any pollution on the road or sidewalk, like oil spills, litter or dog poop, gets washed into the storm drain when it rains and goes straight into local waterways, making them unhealthy.

This type of pollution is called non-point source pollution, because there isn’t one source that can be pointed out as where the pollution is coming from.

Non-point source pollution really comes from everywhere. It’s all the little things that people don’t think about until they start to add up. No one should litter, but sometimes it’s hard to understand the impacts of one’s actions. When people consider putting anything on the land, like fertilizers, pesticides or litter, they are encouraged to think about where it might end up when it rains.

The artwork of three local students was turned into street art near storm drains at Seaford High School, Seaford District Library and Laurel Public Library.

For more information, go to www.NanticokeRiver.org/WYD.