SAS Project: Storm Drain Stenciling
This page profiles an individual project associated with the Trash-Free Waters South Atlantic Strategy (SAS). For additional information about this effort, or to get involved, please reach out to the project contact identified below.
On this page:
Detailed Project Information
Description: The goal of storm drain stenciling is to remind pedestrians that what enters our storm drains enters our ocean. We hold volunteer events where volunteers are educated about the importance of stenciling and are then sent out in teams to stencil drains. The stencils read "No Dumping, Drains to Ocean," which reminds pedestrians that litter washing down these drains washes into the ocean. The installment of these drains reduces the amount of litter ending up in our streets, reducing the amount of trash piling up in our environment.
Project Partners: We would like to recognize our current and previous staff members of Reef Relief who have worked hard to implement this project and reduce the amount of litter in our ocean. We would also like to thank the City of Key West, the Key West Highschool, the U.S. Coastguard, the U.S. NAVY, and KEEN footwear.
Current Project Outcomes: We work to stencil and re-stencil drains on a needed basis. In our current 2022-2023 fiscal year, Reef Relief has already stenciled a total of 784 drains with our 85 volunteers who have attended these events.
Long-Term Project Outcomes: The long-term goal of this project is to prevent litter at the source and educate about the final destination of litter. These events provide an educational component about the importance of drain stenciling, raising public awareness of litter ending up in stormwater runoff. The events also provide a chance for community engagement, for the community to take action to improve their local environments. This project is ongoing; as stencils fade from weather and foot traffic, they must be re-done periodically.
Associated Links:
- Here is a link to our Facebook page, which has active updates for all our events, including storm drain stenciling: https://www.facebook.com/reefrelief.