On September 16th, the Board of Trustees passed a resolution recognizing the week of October 1st through October 7th, 2024, as Stormwater Awareness Week. Perry Township joins Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District and communities throughout central Ohio in raising awareness of the effects of stormwater in our community. Stormwater Awareness Week has grown into a statewide effort that encourages communities (and the groups that care about them) to utilize newsletters, social media posts, and educational events to raise awareness of how rain water moves through infrastructure and our environment. 

Franklin County has over 2,940 miles of waterways including ditches, streams, and rivers (that’s longer than distance from L.A. to New York!) that drain the county throughout several watersheds, ultimately dumping into the Ohio River. Stormwater is generated from rain and snowmelt that flow over land or hard surfaces, picking up pollutants such as trash, chemicals, oils, and dirt. Some common household items including lawn fertilizer or paint can easily wash away too, carried directly to our surface water by storm drains. 

During Stormwater Awareness Week, Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District urges residents to take one or more of the following actions to help make sure that clean streams start right here in Franklin County:

• Take the Stormwater Awareness Pledge to be entered into a drawing for a rain barrel! 
• Organize a Community or Neighborhood Clean-Up. 
• Plant Native Trees & Plants. 
• Adopt a storm drain! Keep your drain clear of debris like leaves and litter. 
• Build a rain garden in your yard or do some weeding and freshening up of one in your neighborhood. 
• Mulch leaves on your grass to help soil conditions. 
• Ask a local business to become a Water Quality Partner. 
• Properly dispose of chemicals and hazardous waste that's no longer being used. 
• Fix car leaks to protect water quality. 
• Always pick up and throw away your pet's waste. 
• Reduce winter salt usage