Many people are unaware that storm drains carry stormwater to the nearest waterway, often without any kind of filtration or treatment. For example, a local waterway here may be a small creek or ditch, but that creek eventually will connect to a larger stream or river, which eventually will drain into the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Many of us obtain our drinking water from streams, creeks and rivers, so eventually, we are drinking the same water that at one time fell as rain and drained off of our neighborhood streets through storm drains. The debris and chemicals that are carried by the water flowing through storm drains can pollute our water supply and also threaten aquatic life living within the water bodies. It our responsibility to let only rain enter storm drains.
The Snyder County Conservation District owns stencils to loan to any organization willing to paint conservation messages at stormwater drains. The Conservation District also will loan out safety goggles, orange traffic cones, brushes, paint and traffic safety vests. Directions on who to contact, example stencil markings and additional information are included in a brochure downloadable from this web page's "Stormwater Downloads" section. Contact us at 570-837-3000 for details and to check the availabilility of the stencils.