Adopt a Storm Drain Program

Storm Drain Adoption
This year, the Village of Itasca is asking you to consider adopting a storm drain in your neighborhood. Storm drains are the open grates found along the edges of our streets and in some of our local parkways. These storm drains are designed to collect storm water and direct it to underground storm sewers. The storm sewers then direct the storm water to local retention and detention ponds, or local streams. Any pollution or debris that goes down a storm drain winds up entering these same waterways.
An illustration of a storm drain
If there is a storm drain near your home, please help take care if it throughout the year. Keep it free from debris and remove any litter that may get caught there. While the Village does have all streets swept with a commercial street sweeper regularly during the spring, summer and fall, yard waste and trash can build up between sweepings. These leaves and other debris (and during the winter - snow and ice) can quickly clog the storm drain, preventing water from entering. This causes local flooding, which creates problems for you and your neighbors. Help clear away materials that may clog the storm water intake. Keep the curb in front of your house free of debris that could be washed down toward the storm drain.

Please do not dump anything down into the storm drains. Anything going into the storm drains eventually winds up in our local ponds and streams. Dispose of oil, antifreeze and other liquid wastes with licensed recyclers. If everyone does a little, we can all enjoy cleaner, healthier neighborhoods this year.

Additional Information
This article is part of the Village’s ongoing Public Education and Outreach program, in support of our National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (NPDES MS4) permit.