Storm drain stenciling

You can organize a group to stencil our motto and clean up storms drains in your neighborhood.

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Salt is a major concern for all bodies of water. Learn the best practices for using de-icing salt.
Take the salt mini-course

Overview

Why to keep storm drains clean

Stormwater goes into storm drains. All storm drains lead to one of our lakes, a creek or the Mississippi River.

When it rains, stormwater carries pollutants into our waterways. Pollutants include:

  • Grass clippings
  • Pesticides
  • Motor oil
  • Cigarette butts
  • Pet waste
  • Plastic bottles
  • and more

Stencils for storm drains

Get involved. Label storm drains to educate others. Adopt a storm drain or organize a group to clean up storm drains in your neighborhood. 

We will provide you with paint and stencils to mark your adopted storm drains. You'll also receive educational messaging to share with others.

Stenciling kits include

  • Custom map of storm drains in your neighborhood
  • Stencils specific to where your area drains to (river, creek, or lake)
  • Spray paint
  • Trash bags, broom, dustpan, and trash grabbers
  • Safety cones, vests, glasses, and gloves
  • Educational door hangers

Get involved

The program started in 2009. Since then:

  • Over 4,800 volunteers have stenciled almost 11,000 storm drains
  • Over 22,000 informational door hangers have been distributed
  • 1,200 bags of trash have been collected from adopted drains

These efforts removed over 29 pounds of phosphorus from our local waterways. 

Email Water Resources to get involved

Sign up to volunteer to stencil storm drains

Clean City programs

people picking up litter with litter grabbers, gloves and yellow litter bags

Request Litter Cleanup Supplies
concrete litter container

Adopt-a-Litter Container
concrete recycling container

Adopt-a-Recycling Container
concrete cigarette butt / ash receptacle

Adopt-an-Ash Receptacle
Adopt-a-street metal sign

Adopt-a-Street
flowers and plants growing in median of street

Adopt-a-Median

Adopt-a-Drain
paint cans and a paint brush

Graffiti paint over program

Related resources

vines on the side of a garage

Prevent graffiti
paint cans and paint brush

Paint over graffiti
graffiti remove spray bottle, sponge and gloves

Remove graffiti

Contact us

Surface Water & Sewers

Public Works

Phone

612-673-5625

Address

Public Works
Surface Water & Sewers Division
309 Second Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55401-2268

Hours

Monday – Friday
7 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Surface Water & Sewers

Water Resources

Public Works

Email

Email Water Resources