By Stephen Henderson
Several members of the Patrick County High School DRBA (Dan River Basin Association) Club took to the streets of Stuart March 10 to map storm drain locations and to identify potential sources of rainwater run-off pollution for the Mayo River.
The group started the search at Stonewall Court and fanned out in both uptown and downtown areas to mark drain locations for future identification as sources of potential pollution for Stuart’s river sources.
The DRBA Club members identified more than 40 potential storm drains and will continue their search at a future date.
The Stuart Town Council heard about the project at its Feb. 17 meeting from DRBA representative Wayne Kirkpatrick and Stephen Henderson, one of the DRBA Club sponsors.
Council members welcomed the proposal to identify the storm drains and mark them with the logo identifying them as sources of Stuart’s water supply.
The spray-painted logo identifies the drain with “DUMP NO WASTE—DRAINS TO RIVER” with a blue-painted trout in the center of the message.
DRBA Club members painted six drains Thursday and will continue the operation in a couple of weeks.
The goal of the club project is to make people aware of storm drains and where the water ends up—in the river. The students hope to raise public awareness of drainage pollution and the importance of the county’s source of drinking water and recreational activities.
