Help Paint Storm Drains to Educate Importance of Clean and Litter Free Drains

MUSKINGUM COUNTY, Ohio- The Muskingum Soil and Water Conservation District is looking for artists to design and paint storm drains in hopes to educate the public about the importance of keeping drains clean.

Artists are encouraged to design artwork that will be painted on the sidewalks and pavement surrounding the storm drains. This project is to help advocate and inform the community about keeping the water safe.

“A lot of people don’t know that the water that goes down the storm drains goes directly back into our waterways and our systems and then it moves on to the city below us and continues all the way down. You can actually follow a water molecule all the way from Canada to the Mississippi River down to the gulf,” Muskingum Soil and Water Conservation District Education and Information Specialist Ashlee Kopchak said.

This is the first year the Soil and Water Conservation District is partnering with the City of Zanesville. A total of eight drains has been selected by City Hall and Blue Ave. 

“We always have to engage in education of our children, and by having this sewer and drain art, it allows children to again, express themselves artistically, and it’s been tough in 2020 and 2021, and this allows them to also be educated in terms of understanding that drains play an important role in protecting our environment,” Zanesville Mayor Don Mason said.

The deadline to submit applications and artwork is May 7. You can find more information and the application by visiting the Muskingum Soil and Water Conservation District website.