Don’t let the snowy weather deter you from cleaning storm drains near your home. Cleaning the snow and leaves from around storm sewer drains prevents potential flooding and keeps pollutants out of storm sewers.
Every storm drain leads to a wetland, pond or lake. Those waterways lead to the Mississippi River, which is where Roseville and many other local municipalities get their drinking water, so it’s important to clear storm sewers and protect waterways.
The City of Roseville has partnered with Clean Water MN, a collaboration of water resource educators including area watershed districts, cities and other local agencies, to encourage residents to adopt a sewer drain in their neighborhood and keep it clear of leaves, trash and other debris that could wash into the sewer system.
Clean Water MN encourages residents to sign up to adopt a drain at adopt-a-drain.org and to report debris that is collected. In October 2019, volunteers reported approximately 11,000 pounds of debris collected. This equates to keeping an estimated 4.5 pounds of phosphorus from leaching into local waterways and preventing the growth of at least 1,200 pounds of algae.