A storm drain is usually a network of underground pipes designed to control flooding by transporting storm water from urban areas to a water body – In this case Peak Creek. Many people don’t realize that what goes down the drain doesn’t go to any kind of treatment facility but directly to a waterway.

This untreated material can pollute the waterways in our community. Although individual storm drains may contribute small amounts of pollutants, the combination of many storm drains can cause a negative impact on water quality.

FOPC and Town employees have been hard at work to make sure our storm drains work efficiently and are used properly. Our storm drain stenciling program turned into a storm drain marking program earlier this year. While acknowledging the tremendous amount of effort that went into the stenciling effort, led by member Cheri Strenz, it was decided to switch to metal markers so the message would be more durable and utilize a grant from the C.E. Richardson Foundation.

The transition from stencil to metal markers proved to be challenging due to a trial and error of different types and effectiveness of adhesive. The project was completed in 2020 with the help of Access to Community College Education students and dedicated FOPC members. Informational handouts are in the planning stage to help bolster this effort.