Adopt a drain
Wesleyan, Ohio Students Collaborate to Launch Water Quality Improvement Program
Delaware, Ohio – Savannah Domenech, as a high school student volunteering to clean up trash in her New York hometown, creates the lasting, positive environmental impact she seeks to achieve by involving many people, in a collaborative and collaborative way. I quickly realized that I needed to work hard.
As a student at Wesleyan University in Ohio, Domenech, a sophomore in Webster, New York, saw an opportunity to work with the city of Delaware and communities to improve local water quality. This month, she spearheads the launch of her Adopt-a-Drain program in the city. The program employs storm drains and encourages people to clean them regularly to prevent trash and other debris from entering local waterways.
“Be a stormwater hero – adopt a drain!” says Domenech, a double major in environmental studies and geography. “Anyone can agree to have selected storm drains and their surroundings cleaned within Delaware City every other week.”
Those who choose to participate are improving the environment with “easy and quick actions” that help reduce localized flooding, improve stormwater quality and increase cleanliness in their communities and neighborhoods, she said. said.
Domenech began working on the Adopt-a-Drain project in the ENVS 110 (Environment and Sustainability Overview) class and won an OWU Connect grant to help launch the Adopt-a-Drain program.
She is kicking off the project in earnest this month by encouraging members of the OWU campus community to adopt the sewers to clean and maintain. In November, when the Stormwater Watch Quarterly newsletter will be mailed to residents with utility bills and posters will be posted downtown, the program will be rolled out to the greater Delaware community. Details and sign-up information are available online at stormwater.owu.edu.
David Soliday, an educational technologist in Wesleyan, Ohio, helped Domenech test the protocol for the program and initially recruited Drane.
“I am happy to help,” said Soliday, who is also a longtime member of the Delaware Environmental Community Group for Sustainable Development. “As an adopter, I keep my drains clear of debris. This includes fall leaves, and all types of trash and debris. I promised to fill out a short survey for you.
“These drains flow into the Olentangy River, the source of the city’s tap water,” says Soliday, who hopes others will embrace the environmental initiative. “Excessive debris can clog pipes or otherwise complicate problems downstream where the same river is a valuable resource for Worthington, Columbus, and other communities. Taking responsibility for this drainage also helps raise awareness of our connection to the natural world around us.”
Domenech said when people adopted Drain, “I was adopted!” Choices are mapped online using ArcGIS Online software.
Domenech’s project is being completed in collaboration with the City of Delaware’s Department of Public Works. Erin Wolfe, City Watershed and Sustainability Coordinator. and the Environmental and Sustainability Department of Wesleyan, Ohio.
Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s leading liberal arts colleges. This private university in Delaware, Ohio offers over 70 undergraduate degrees and participates in 24 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Its signature experience, OWU Connection, Ohio Wesleyan, is to understand issues from multiple academic perspectives, volunteer to serve others, build diverse and global perspectives, and bring the classroom to life through internships, research, and more. It teaches students to translate their knowledge into real-world experiences. Hands-on learning. Wesleyan, Ohio has been featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives” and has been included in the “Best Colleges” list of US News & World Report and the Princeton Review. Connect to her OWU expert interview sources at owu.edu/experts or learn more at owu.edu.
