To raise awareness of how the public can help reduce water pollution, youth working with Groundwork Somerville will paint Don’t Dump – Drains to Mystic River on storm drains

Wednesday, August 16, youth with Groundwork Somerville’s Green Team along with staff from the Mystic River Watershed Association and City of Somerville will take part in a Don’t Dump – Drains to Mystic River storm drain stenciling project. This project is part of a watershed-wide effort, coordinated by the Mystic River Watershed Association, to raise awareness of how the public can help reduce the release of pollution into our rivers and streams and make urban waters more accessible for recreational use by their neighboring communities. Most city storm drains empty directly into the nearest body of water without being treated, which means that any trash or contaminants like oil, fertilizers, detergents, cigarette butts, and dog waste, emptied into a storm drain end up polluting local rivers and streams.

The youth group will target their efforts in the Mystic Housing and Ten Hills neighborhoods. By stenciling the storm drain “Don’t Dump – Drains to Mystic River,” in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole and Portuguese, the youth hope to make the public aware of the consequences of dumping pollutants into the storm drains and encourage the neighborhood to do their part to keep the city’s water systems clean. For more information about this project, contact Beth MacBlane at the Mystic River Watershed Association at 781-316-3438.

When: Wednesday, August 16, 2017 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Where: Volunteers will meet outside of the Blessing of the Bay Boathouse, 32 Shore Drive, Somerville, MA 02145.