A team of volunteer artists have been out in Bradley Stoke to bring to life our message of ‘Only Rain Down the Drain’ by painting storm drain art around some of the entrances of Three-brooks Nature reserve in Bradley Stoke.
Our volunteers included both hobbyists and art students from UWE who designed and painted artwork that both decorated these often overlooked street features, as well as communicated to the public a very important message in being mindful that whatever we pour down a storm drain will make it’s way directly to a local river.
We all know that storm drains serve the important purpose of taking away rainwater from the streets to stop them flooding, but many may not pay much thought about where this water actually ends up? Many modern urban drainage features such as storm drains and gutters rather than flow into a sewage pipe and taken to a sewage treatment facility, are instead designed to carry water directly to a river so to alleviate pressure on Sewage Treatment Works during high rainfall.
However, this means that anything that finds its way into a storm drain, can end up untreated into local rivers and streams. Litter, car oils and cleaning products, weedkillers or mop bucket wastewater are often poured down surface water drains and can be detrimental to river wildlife.
This is why our art campaign has focused on spreading the message that only rain belongs down our drains, and that storm drain links directly to the river.
During half term, BART staff hosted a small stall at Three Brooks Nature Reserve in Bradley Stoke, inviting the public to learn about the impact of storm drain pollution. The stall sparked many meaningful conversations with visitors on how to reduce river pollution. A highlight for families and children was viewing invertebrates and small fish collected from Patchway Brook, including freshwater shrimp, diving beetles, cased caddisfly larvae, bullhead fish, 3-spined sticklebacks, and a stone loach. Children learned to identify these “mini-beasts,” which inspired them to create more chalk drawings around the pond area.
Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers who created the artwork, and South Gloucestershire Council for providing support for these two initiatives.
Thank you to the Environment Agency for the funding to make this work possible.
