Guide to Storm Drain Marking Preventing Water Pollution in Your Community

LAKE COUNTY STORMWATER MANAGEMENT COMMISSION Guide to Storm Drain Marking Preventing Water Pollution in Your Community Contents Introduction This manual is a how-to guide for municipalities Introduction............................................................1 interested in starting a Storm Drain Marking Program to What is Nonpoint Source Pollution?......................1 What Nonpoint Source Pollutants..........................1 reduce nonpoint source pollution. Programs have been What is a Storm Drain?..........................................1 instituted across the country and this guide is a reflection of Marking and IEPA’s NPDES II Program...............1 those programs and how-to guides. Why Be Concerned with What Enters a Storm The guide covers mainly two methods for marking storm Drain......................................................................2 drain inlets. The Lake County Stormwater Management Why Mark Drains?................................................2 Commission (SMC) does not endorse one marking Types of Labeling..................................................2 Marking Options approach over another, and the guide does not represent a Types of Messages.................................................3 complete catalog of marking products. Its purpose is to give Placement of Message...........................................3 your municipality, and groups such as schools and civic The Municipality’s Role........................................3 groups, the tools to launch a successful citizen-education Planning Your Marking Project.............................4 effort to reduce dumping and to protect local water Before Marking resources. Day of the Event Vendor Resources..................................................5 On-Line Resources................................................5 What is Nonpoint Source Appendix A: How to Mark Your Storm Drain.......6 Spray-Painted or Painted Stencils, Supplies Pollution? Curb Markers, Supplies Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is caused when rainfall Appendix B: Safety................................................7 runoff carries pollutants from a wide variety of sources into Appendix C: Sample News Release, Public Service surface water or ground water. We all contribute to NPS Announcement ......................................................8 Appendix D: Sample Liability Waivers.................0 even if we don’t mean to. Many of our everyday actions References ............................................................11 add to NPS. NPS pollutants can be chemicals, like What You Can Do to Reduce NPS........................12 pesticides and fertilizers. They can be automotive products like grease, oil, gasoline, antifreeze and road salt. They can IEPA and be common household items like paint and solvents. They can even be natural materials like soil, animal wastes, grass Storm Drain clippings and fallen leaves. Marking Programs What is a Storm Drain? Storm drain marking is In urban areas, the most common route for NPS one of the Illinois pollutants is through storm drains. A storm drain is a Environmental Protection network of underground pipes or open ditches designed to Agency’s (IEPA) Best control flooding by transporting stormwater from urban Management Practices (BMPs) for addressing the Phase II areas to a waterbody. A storm drain may also be known as a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES curb, gutter, channel, ditch, pipe, or culvert. Phase II) requirements. Meet the NPDES II challenge by organizing a marking program in your municipality. 1 Why Be Concerned with What volunteers provide the labor. Enters a Storm Drain? Other marking options include permanent signs made of Anything flushed down a storm drain is not treated before plastic, plastic or other durable materials like: it enters a waterbody. This means that wastes on the streets and sidewalks go directly into a nearby waterbody, and not Pre-Cast Inlet a wastewater treatment plant. This option is manufactured with Lake County’s 400 miles of streams drain into some 170 a written message engraved on lakes and rivers throughout 480 square miles of the county. the inlet. Some commercial Polluted runoff harm’s our waterways where we fish, swim, vendors are listed on p. 5. and obtain our drinking water. Why Mark Storm Drains? Storm drain marking is a great way to make people in Aluminum Curb Marker your community more aware of nonpoint source pollution These markers are applied by and polluted runoff. Storm drain marking serves as an applying a mounting educational tool to remind people about the connection adhesive or by drilling a two between storm drains and local water resources. inch bolt and two nuts into the pavement. This method is Types of Labeling not discussed in this guide. Typically, two types of storm drain marking that can be done relatively inexpensively and by using volunteers: Thermoplastic stenciling with paint, or glueing storm drain markers. Pavement Marker You will hear the benefits for and against these methods A heated torch is used to of marking. Choose the method that best fits your budget apply the marker onto the and needs. Consider the cost of materials and how long they pavement. This method is not will last, and the ease of application particularly when discussed in this guide. Marking Options Approx. Costs* Stenciling Mylar Stencil Inexpensive and stencils can be resused. Price from Earthwork Stencils: $15.50 Generally lasts up to 2 years depending on weather and traffic ea./25-49 qty. + shipping for in-stock conditions. stencils; size 10”x24” Easy to implement a project and is ideal for the use of new volunteers on a regular basis. Brushes, rollers, paint prices vary Glue-on Markers or Self-Adhesive Markers Glue-on Marker Quick to apply and are attractive. Price from DAS Manufacturing: $2.50 Initial costs are higher then stenciling but markers can last up to including adhesive 10 years. Require little to no maintenance. Wire brush prices vary Note: Snow plowing may dislodge markers. Make sure surface is clean before applying. Permanent Pre-Cast Inlets/Manholes Pre-Cast Inlet Permanent and little to no maintenance. Prices vary. See p. 5 for IJEW vendor Use can be encouraged or required through ordinance or new contact information. construction specifications. * Prices are estimates effective per the production date of this guide. Information on the products listed is not intended as an endorsement by SMC. The user is ultimately responsible for determining the suitability of the products. Additional vendors and sources of information pertaining to storm drain marking may also be available through other sources. 2 Types of Messages Storm drain stenciling has one purpose: to discourage deliberate dumping. Your message may focus on a particular material such as motor oil while others may warn against the dumping of chemicals like fertilizers. Whatever your message, tailor it to the water bodies in and around your municipality by saying, for example, “drains to creek,” or “drains to lake.” Consider adding the name of the actual creek, lake, or river on your stencil or marker. Some sample messages include: DON’T DUMP. PROTECT OUR WATER. DUMP NO WASTE. DRAINS TO LAKE. NO OIL OR CHEMICALS. DRAINS TO STREAM. DO NOT DUMP. FLOWS TO FOX RIVER. YOU DUMP IT, YOU DRINK IT. SI USTED LO TIRA, USTED LO TOMA. ONLY RAIN DOWN THE STORM DRAIN. Figure 1. Source: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Placement of the Message Messages can be positioned in several ways. The decision about where to place the message (See Figure 1) also should take into account who else will see it. Signs facing the street will be seen more easily by motorists; signs aligned with the sidewalk or with the street itself are more likely to be seen by pedestrians. It’s important that even those who would not dump down a storm drain be exposed to the message. In fact, the message may help deter littering, over fertilizing and other practices that contribute to nonpoint source pollution. The Municipality’s Role Your municipality may have someone designated to coordinate volunteer marking projects. Coordination may mean any of the following: providing marking kits containing all the materials and tools needed to carry out a marking project; (See Appendix -- for kit contents); furnishing a map showing the project area including identified drains to be marked; training volunteers on safety procedures and on the technique for stenciling or affixing signs; providing safety equipment: traffic cones, safety vests, masks/goggles (if spray paint is used) and gloves (if glue is used); providing incentives and rewards for volunteers (badges, T-shirts, certificates, etc.). 3 Planning Your Marking Project Before Marking: Day of the Event: Organizing Volunteers: Each volunteer should sign a Check the Weather: If unsuitable weather liability waiver. A sample is located in Appendix D. conditions exist, consider using an alternative rain You may also want to acquire photo releases from the date. The pavement should be dry and temperatures volunteers. Make sure your police department and should range between 50 and 80 degrees F. It is no front desk personnel are informed. recommended to spray paint on a windy day. Map the Neighborhood: Using a neighborhood map Collect All Liability Waivers and Photo Releases. or Geographic Information Systems (GIS), identify areas where storm drain marking will occur and those Review All Safety Procedures. See Appendix B for already marked. (Remember,

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