As part of Keep Gastonia Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup campaign, as well as a citywide effort to improve stormwater education and protect local waterways, several neighborhoods, including the Laurel East community, are partnering with Keep Gastonia Beautiful (KGB) and the City’s Stormwater Services Division to install storm drain markers.
“Many people don’t realize that storm drains do not connect to wastewater treatment facilities. Instead, water and anything it carries, like litter, motor oil, or household chemicals, flows directly into nearby streams and rivers, eventually reaching larger bodies of water,” said Keep Gastonia Beautiful Administrator Juliann Lehman. “That’s why storm drain marking efforts carry such an important message: ‘Only Rain Should Go Down the Drain.’”
Laurel East, which is an Alliance for Community Engagement (A.C.E.) Recognized Neighborhood, was one of several neighborhoods across the city that have embraced this initiative. Volunteers there installed 23 storm drain markers and used the opportunity to build community engagement by bringing neighbors together around a shared goal: to prevent pollution and raise public awareness about the impact of stormwater runoff.
“This curb marking initiative is a soft way to help a neighborhood with no HOA engage with each other,” said Danon Lawson, Stormwater Services Administrator. “I’m proud of the work our staff have been doing to help these communities to get these markers on the ground in neighborhoods.”
The City extends its appreciation to the residents of the Laurel East Neighborhood and encourages other neighborhoods to explore similar opportunities to support KGB’s mission of protecting Gastonia’s natural beauty.
“This is a great example of what can happen when the residents and City join forces to make a difference in our community,” said Danette Dye, Director of Housing and Community Engagement.
For more information on how to get involved with future KGB projects or the A.C.E. Neighborhood program, visit Housing and Community Engagement webpage on the City’s website.