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Philadelphia Water Department Seeking Volunteers For Earth Day Activity
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The Philadelphia Water Department has joined forces with the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary to recruit volunteers for the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22.   Good Samaritans are needed to protect Philadelphia’s urban rivers by gluing signs onto storm drains that warn, “Yo!  No Dumping!  Drains to River.”

            The deadline for registration is March 12, after which free training and materials will be provided prior to Earth Day.  Volunteers are not required to live in Philadelphia to participate.
            Marking storm drains has been a family-oriented, Earth Day activity since 2000 in the city of Philadelphia.  More than 5,000 storm drains were marked by over 300 teams in 2008 alone.  These signs are helping to prevent unwitting polluters from dumping motor oil, paint, and other contaminants into sewers which, at times, can overflow into swimming areas, fishing holes, and sources of drinking water along the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers.
            “Marking a storm drain couldn’t be easier,” said Cheryl Jackson, program specialist at the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary.  “A pair of volunteers working as a team can easily install a whole kit, or 15 signs, in about one hour.”
            Volunteers hitting the streets will also have the option of handing out educational tip cards.  These explain why marking storm drains is important.  They also outline simple actions people can take in their homes or yards to protect Philadelphia’s waterways.
            To learn more, visit the Storm Drain Marking Program webpage or call Jackson at 800-445-4935, extension 112.  

 


3/1/2010

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