Paterson “Adopt a Catch Basin” Program
In NJ’s cities and towns, storm drains, or catch basins as we call them, lead directly to our freshwater streams and rivers. When these basins become clogged and cluttered with trash, the trash is also carried into our waterways. Sometimes the catch basins can become so clogged that the debris prevents the storm drain from functioning correctly. Catch basins are designed to help to move stormwater runoff off the streets and away from homes. When they are not functioning correctly because they are clogged or cluttered, they can add to flooding issues such as are seen in cities like Paterson.
On November 11th, staff from Great Swamp Watershed Association (GSWA) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) teamed up with community members from Paterson’s Green Acres Community Garden to help educate community members about the importance of keeping the catch basins clean.
Through grant funding from New Jersey Conservation Foundation (NJCF) – Franklin Parker Small Grants Project and TNC, and with the help of a new website hosted by TNC, we asked community members to adopt a catch basin near their home or place of work. Community members who joined the program were given a free catch basin cleaning kit and agreed to check on their basin at least once a month. As a way to track how much trash and debris we are helping to keep off the streets and out of our rivers, participants were asked to report in, using a QR code that they were given to let us know when they cleaned out their basins and how much trash they collected.
Sandra LaVigne – GSWA Director of Water Quality Programs, Sarah Hunt – GSWA Education, Land Steward & Water Quality Associate, and Katie-Rose Imbriano – TNC Director of Cities Programs talked with residents and handed out Adopt a Catch Basin literature and kits. In all, a total of 32 kits were distributed containing:
- 12 pairs of disposable nitrile gloves
- 1 pair of reusable gloves
- 12 garbage bags
- 12 recycling bags
- 1 vest
- 1 trash picker
- 1 refrigerator magnet with reminders to clean, and a QR code for reporting
To better connect with the community members, TNC also translated the literature into Spanish and Arabic.
“Residents were so engaged, a number of them went home and brought back family members and friends,” stated GSWA’s Sandra LaVigne. “This is how we help each other, by partnering with people and empowering them to take charge of their communities.”
The following Monday, Sandra LaVigne presented the program at the Essex County Environmental Commission meeting eliciting a lot of interest and questions. Building on the connections made within the 4th ward and local community, GSWA and TNC are looking at the end of November to team up local Paterson community organizations with the goal of growing the Adapt a Catch Basin program and getting more community members involved in keeping the catch basins in the area clean.
Learn more HERE (clicking this link will take you to TNC’s website)
