Volunteers remove 40 pounds of 'yuck' from Norwich's storm drains
I’ve mentioned I do a lot of walking across Norwich, not as much as when I had younger socks and shoes, and I’ve become a semi-expert on what neighborhoods have the best sidewalks, or any sidewalks in some cases, and smoothest pavement.
When you’re zipping along at a top speed of two sneakers an hour, you pay attention to where you’re walking and are careful of what you might step in. One of the things I keep an eye out for (and used to carry one of those plastic grocery store bags especially for) is what I call the “curious containers.”
Quite simply, a “curious container” is a box, a bag, a cup, a nip bottle, or a can that at one time had food or drink. As long as it did, it was transported by someone on their way to somewhere else. Curiously, when empty, or nearly empty, it suddenly became too heavy to be carried any farther and the person dropped it like a stone.
I haven’t read a lot in scientific journals lately about how the specific gravity of fast-food containers increases as the contents diminish so I’m excited about the groundbreaking paper on that subject I’ll be authoring when I finish collating my sidewalk strolling research notes.
I used to walk with our children when they (and I) were younger, but they’re grown and gone, and I think I walk to ease the pain of being an empty nester. But now, and this is of interest even if you’re not an empty-nester, I have adopted a storm drain just down the street from my house on Lincoln Avenue and have given it a name, and now so can you.
As a matter of fact, the more the merrier. Don’t worry, there are no detailed qualifications, specialized training, or unique skills required to adopt a drain. So far, all I’ve needed are rubber gloves, a back that lets me bend over and a bag to put the detritus in.
Coinciding with Earth Day, on April 22, our Department of Public Works started its “Adopt a Drain” campaign. You should have read about it in the pages of The Bulletin (https://www.norwichbulletin.com/story/news/2023/04/14/norwich-public-works-starts-adopt-a-drain-to-keep-storm-drains-clear/70083894007/), or not, based on the large number of storm drains still looking to be adopted.
Last weekend, the program’s coordinator, Emma Robinson, shared a progress report that, as a walker, confirmed many of my impressions about how much "stuff" was removed from around our city’s storm drains. In just the two months the program has been around, we (us drain adopters) have kept over 40 pounds of "yuck" from entering our waterways and storm drain system.
Since you were going to ask: "Yuck" is my technical term that any of us can use and encompasses everything from a discarded campaign sign, cigarette butts, food wrappers, nips, plastic cups, leaves, fallen branches, and a partridge in a pear tree (just checking to see if you were still paying attention).
I have no idea how many storm drains Norwich has or how many are still available for adoption (the goal is to have 100 adoptions) and you won’t see any TV commercials with Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel” playing in the background, but you can do your part by calling Emma at 860-823-3798 or go online (there's a link from The Bulletin's article) and fill out the form.
We all know litter hurts, but every little bit helps so how about you do your little bit?
Bill Kenny, of Norwich, writes a weekly column about Norwich issues. His blog, Tilting at Windmills, can be accessed at https://tiltingatwindmills-dweeb.blogspot.com/.
This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Norwich DPW storm drain program started on Earth Day, needs volunteers
