Only rain belongs down the drain!

Help protect Eden Prairie’s lakes and wetlands by organizing your family, neighbors or coworkers to look after our storm drains.

If you’ve been outside when it rains, you probably noticed that rainwater flows over streets, yards, trails, driveways and sidewalks. When that happens, the rainwater becomes stormwater. Things the stormwater picks up on its journey — such as dead leaves, grass clippings, trash, dirt and sand, and pet waste — can pollute our waterways and block the flow of stormwater.

There isn’t a place downstream where pollutants are removed. Once they are in stormwater, they end up in our lakes, streams and wetlands. If too much debris gets into the stormwater, it can cause blockages. Blocked stormwater systems can cause street flooding or an unsafe environment for people, pets and wildlife.

Programs developed by the City of Eden Prairie, Nine Mile Creek Watershed District, Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed District and the Center for Global Environmental Education help our community work together to protect our waterways.

How to Get Involved

Adopt a Storm Drain

While it’s always a good idea to rake or sweep up debris around storm drains near you, you can sign up to adopt (and name!) your very own storm drain.

Volunteers sign up at Adopt-a-Drain.org to clean up around their adopted storm drains throughout the year. Each time they clean up, they track the amount of trash and debris removed from around their drains at the Adopt-a-Drain website. This lets us track our collective impact as we work together to keep our lakes, streams and wetlands clean.

Storm Drain Marking

Take it to the streets! Volunteer to apply educational messages near storm drains to remind neighbors that whatever goes into storm sewers travels untreated to our lakes, streams and wetlands.

Contact the City’s water resources coordinator to borrow a neighborhood storm drain marking. The kit is designed for up to six people and is returned to City Center so it can be refilled for the next group to use.

Storm drain marking kits contain:

• Instructions
• Handouts for the neighborhood
• Wire brush
• 6 sets of gloves
• Trash bags
• 12 curb markers

Safety vests are available upon request.

This is a great activity for scout troops, youth groups, book clubs, neighborhood associations or anyone who wants to help keep stormwater clean.

Contact the City's water resources coordinator with questions about either of these programs or to help you get started.