Stormdrain Pollutants

A stormdrain (or storm sewer) is a system designed for the purpose of carrying rainwater or melting snow. Stormdrains can often be found built into roadside curbs, alleys, or basements floors. They carry rainwater and melted snow through an underground system that ends up in nearby rivers, creeks, or the ocean.

The purpose of the stormdrain is to help prevent flooding by diverting rainwater and melted snow off of the streets and other paved surfaces and into a natural body of water. Although stormdrains fulfill an important purpose, they can harm water quality.

A storm sewer contains untreated water. So the water that enters the river or ocean from the other end of the pipe is the same water, and any pollution it picked up, that entered the system.

Design a Stormdrain System!

We're going to mimic the movement of water within a stormdrain system by creating a maze that water must flow through.

Materials

• Paper

• Pencil

• Wax paper

• Clipboard or other sturdy material (cardboard, fiberboard, book)

• Water

• Pipette (a spoon can be used instead)

• Cup to hold water

• Four water soluble markers: Orange, purple, brown and green (Or substitute with four different colors you have available)

• Optional: Clay or hot glue to outline pipe design

Procedure, part 1

Using the paper and pencil, design a maze to represent a stormdrain system. Make sure the walls of your maze are about the same width as your index finger. Include:

• Four inlets, labeled A, B, C, D.

• One outlet (this flows into a body of water).

1. Tape the paper to a sturdy surface such as a clipboard or cardboard.

2. Tape a sheet of wax paper over your design.

3. Use a pipette or spoon to place a drop of water at inlet A.

4. Move the surface to navigate your water droplet through the pipes.

5. Continue adding droplets of water at each inlet.

6. Move all water until it is released through the outlet.

Did your water stay inside the pipe design? If you have difficulty you can outline your pipes with clay or use a hot glue gun. Make sure to leave your inlets and outlet open so that water can move in and out of the system.

Procedure, Part 2

Each of the inlets represents stormwater that is collected from different areas of a community. We will use water soluble markers to represent pollution that is picked up by stormwater and carried into the stormdrain system.

A. Parking lot - Sludge (gas and oil) from cars collect here

B. City park - Litter and dog waste

C. Construction site - loose soil

D. Neighborhood/farm - Pesticides and Fertilizer

Materials

A. Orange Marker

B. Purple Marker

C. Brown Marker

D. Green Marker

Note: If you don't have these supplies you can substitute with the colors you have available.

Procedure

1. Use the markers to color a small area inside each inlet. (Use the orange marker at inlet A, purple marker at inlet B, brown marker at inlet C, green marker at inlet D.)

2. Use a pipette or spoon to place a drop of water at inlet A.

3. Move the surface to navigate your water droplet through the pipes.

4. Continue adding droplets of water at each inlet.

5. Move all water until it is released through the outlet.

6. Collect water in a small container.

The clear container simulates a stream and the outlet simulates a drain pipe. Did the water pick up the pollution and carry it through the stormdrain system? Where did all this pollution end up? How does this affect the quality of the water?

Stormdrain Pollutants Vocabulary

Stormdrain: A storm drain, storm sewer, surface water drain/sewer, or stormwater drain is infrastructure designed to drain excess rain and ground water from impervious surfaces such as paved streets, car parks, parking lots, footpaths, sidewalks, and roofs.

System: A set of things working together as parts of a mechanism or an interconnecting network.

Inlet: A place or means of entry.

Outlet: A pipe or hole through which water or gas may escape.

Where are stormdrains located in Lexington? This stormdrain inlet map shows the locations.

How many stormdrains are near where you live?