What do young folks get that many adults don’t? Pollution? The fragility of the environment? What to do and what not to do? All of the above? 

A troop of Ashland Girl Scouts has been working hard to help educate the public about pollution and storm drains. These 9th-grade scouts have created a flyer and a video, which they exhibited at Ashland’s Earth Day event and Town Meeting. They have painted Only Rain Down The Drain banners on many storm drains around downtown Ashland, including a demonstration painting of a storm drain at the town hall parking lot adjacent to the Corner Spot. In August, they painted a storm drain in the parking lot near the Farmers Market. They will appear (or have by press time) on WACA, and they interacted with the public at the Community Tent at the Farmers Market on Sept. 5.

The Ashland Department of Public Works (DPW) is primarily responsible for cleaning streets and storm drains under the town’s MS4 EPA stormwater permit, but they cannot do it all.  The Ashland Stormwater Advisory Committee (SWAC) provides all the help it can to educate the public. Education should reduce pollution, and working with the Girl Scouts has been the most effective part of the program.  

“The girls are doing a great job at getting the word out,” offered Jill Vernes, SWAC member.

The Ashland High School Environmental Science club has also been involved. They painted an Only Rain Down the Drain banner at a strategically placed storm drain in the back of Ashland High School. It’s a location that most students and parents will notice and be alerted to the issue.

Becca Solomon, the town’s conservation agent, was able to recruit student helpers from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) chapter of Engineers Without Borders. They painted storm drains on many streets in the spring.

The ‘Only Rain’ Campaign

The Only Rain concept is simple: Don’t allow anything other than stormwater (rain) into storm drains. What goes into a storm drain flows directly into our streams, rivers, wetlands, ponds, and lakes, and ultimately the ocean. Stormwater is not treated in any way before discharging to local waters. We swim and boat in that water, and ultimately we also drink it.  So, you would think we would all do what we can to keep it all clean.  

That is the goal… sensitize people to the issue of stormwater so we collectively work to reduce pollution in our local waters.

These Girl Scouts, high school students, and college students are helping people see that protecting our stormwater and local waters doesn't take much effort. Simple changes in public behavior can make a big difference.

Simple changes — like washing your car at a car wash instead of on the street. Car wash facilities collect and treat the dirty wash water. The result is less oily dirt and chemically-laden soapy water going down the storm drain.

Litter is another problem.  It both pollutes stormwater and can clog drains and pipes. The DPW is required to sweep all Ashland streets, but the dirtier they are, the longer it takes and the more costly it is to do the work. In addition, all those street sweepings are considered toxic waste, which costs a lot to dispose of.

Dog owners, please take notice. Dog poop is particularly problematic. It pollutes both air and water. In places like the town forest, it causes wildlife to be more aggressive and spreads disease. Dog poop can be deadly for marine life.  Not only does it bring disease, but it causes algae blooms which deplete oxygen and release deadly toxins.

Be part of the solution!  

Ashland is fortunate to have an ad hoc citizen committee called GreenUp Ashland. Their GreenUp campaign and Adopt-A-Street program remove tons of litter thus saving the town a significant amount of money while reducing pollution. The more volunteers, the more effective the program will be.

Pick up your leaves. Not only do leaves clog storm drains and cause flooding, but they are a source of pollution. They are high in phosphorus, which causes algae blooms. The best solution is to remove them quickly from streets, storm drains, and your yard. Compost them on your property if you can, or bag them for composting by the town. 

You can find more information at the town’s website on both the DPW Stormwater page and the Stormwater Advisory Committee page.

Ashland High School Environmental Science Club members who painted the storm drain in the back of AHS.