Chances are you have seen the storm drains around Lexington with a colorful image and the words, “Only rain down the drain.” These small works of art educate residents about water quality. The stencil also provides a constant reminder that our storm drains lead straight to local waterways and that littering can pollute those waters.
Since the start of the storm drain stenciling program in 2010, an average of 180 drains have been stenciled per year. Stenciling lasts for approximately five years before it needs to be repainted.
As part of their Green Check certification process, John’s Run/Walk Shop and Central Bank Center/Rupp Arena painted storm drains in 2024. We talked with them about their experiences.
Matt Reno from John’s Run/Walk Shop led their efforts to stencil a storm drain on Euclid Avenue. He describes it as, “an art project for a good cause.” He goes on to say, “It is something that everyone needs to be more aware of. When I take my dog for walks, I notice litter more now. I like the idea that it’s educating people who may not be aware of the importance of keeping pollution out of storm drains.”
Theresa Lloyd led a group from Central Bank Center/Rupp Arena in stenciling nearly 40 storm drains in downtown Lexington. She says, “Being such a focal point of the community, it is our hope others will see and maybe ask about taking on stenciling as well.
Her favorite part of the project? “Bringing staff members together to work on a project that not only educates the public, but them as well. It started the conversation on why we are doing this.”
Anyone can stencil a storm drain – and with more than 20,000 storm drains and inlets in Lexington, there are plenty to go around. It’s a great way to give back to the community and help spread the word about keeping our local creeks clean.
Learn more about storm drain stenciling, adopting a storm drain or painting a storm drain mural on our Adopt A Storm Drain page.
