GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The City of Grand Rapids is encouraging residents to clear the catch basins near their homes of debris to prevent flooding.
The storm drains can gather debris like leaves, sticks and trash and prevent water from melting ice and snow to flow into them.
The City’s Department of Environmental Services (ESD) says this proactive action can prevent street flooding, protect the environment and manage stormwater.
Grand Rapids has over 17,000 catch basins across the city that drain water during storm events and snow-melting periods. Of those 17,000 catch basins, only about 4,000 are professionally cleaned annually by the city.
The City of Grand Rapids is encouraging residents to participate in the Adopt-A-Drain program coordinated by the Lower Grand Rapids Organization of Watersheds (LGROW).
The Adopt-A-Drain program asks residents to adopt one of Grand River's storm drains and pledge to help keep it clear of leaves and debris to help the community avoid flooding.
Participants in the Adopt-A-Drain program are encouraged to follow ESD on Facebook and share photos of any efforts to keep neighborhood basins clear of debris. Participants are eligible to win gift cards to area restaurants and other prizes.
The efforts by residents of Grand Rapids to keep catch basins and storm drains clear of debris will help reduce backups and flooding and will ultimately help protect the environment and the Grand River.
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