For Immediate Release April 19, 2005

For More Information Contact: Rich Schneider, 317-278-4564 rcschnei@iupui.edu

Service Learning Project Seeks to Reduce River Pollution

INDIANAPOLIS - A dozen students and staff spent a day placing markers that will last a dozen years on 60 storm water drains at IUPUI to make a point: No dumping. Drains to River.

Before splitting into three teams, they gathered around a storm water drain located in the middle of a parking lot at the campus apartments on the River Walk. Ashes from barbecues had been dumped recently in a nearby storm water drain by persons who apparently didn't realize the drain feeds directly into the White River.

"We need to make people aware that what goes into the drain goes into the river," said Kara Salazar, Education Outreach Coordinator, for the Center for Earth and Environmental Science at IUPUI. "We want people to really understand the connection between storm water and the river."

Using cylindrical and rectangular shaped markers, the teams used drills to clean the surface of the drains. They then applied adhesive to the markers, put them in place, and moved on to the next storm water drains. The blue and green markers, with a fish in the middle, warn, "No dumping. Drains to River."

The Center for Earth and Environmental Science is partnering with Campus Facility Services to locate and mark storm drains at IUPUI which feed directly into White River and Fall Creek. This will be a multi-year partnership in which CEES' will mark campus storm drains, using its Environmental Service Learning Program. The storm drain marking project is part of IUPUI's compliance with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program authorized by the Clean Water Act. The goal of the storm drain markers will be to discourage the dumping of materials down storm drains to prevent pollution and improve water quality of Indianapolis water bodies.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, stormwater runoff is the most common source of water pollution. Marking storm drains provides a way to heighten public awareness about the relationship between water quality and storm drainage systems. By raising public awareness of urban runoff, storm drain marking programs should discourage practices that generate nonpoint source pollutants as well such as dumping waste and chemicals down storm drains.

Nonpoint source pollution is caused by sources such as soil running off of the land from construction, fertilizer runoff from lawns and farm fields, failing septic systems and cars leaking oil. Citizens, land planners, and elected officials can all work together to make our water cleaner through master planning and zoning ordinances that protect our natural resources. ###