Congratulations on beginning your own Drain Stenciling project! This tutorial will guide you through the steps needed to stencil storm drains safely and legally.

A storm drain stenciling project consists of stenciling a message next to the street drain reminding people "Dump No Waste- Drains to River" with the image of a fish. (Stencils are also available for lake, stream, bay, groundwater, ocean or simply "protect your water" with the image of a glass and faucet.)

Steps to consider when conducting a stenciling project:

First, call for permission. For public streets, call the city or County Public Works Department (stormwater or road maintenance division). In some cases, the State Highway Administration has jurisdiction (see adjacent box for help). Public Works will probably issue a permit or letter of approval. They may even help by providing storm drain maps, traffic safety cones, flags and vests. Check to see if they prefer that you stencil on the side walk, or on the street next to the drain. For some drains on private property (e.g., business or apartment parking lots), get the permission of the property owner.
Consider safety. Especially when stenciling with children, seriously consider traffic safety issues when you select your site. Neighborhoods are usually safer than downtown city streets (many nonpoint sources go down storm drains in residential neighborhoods). Place traffic safety cones and assign at least one person with a traffic flag to watch traffic at all times.
Prepare materials. Before using stencils for the first time, "weed" remaining letters from the die cuts. This avoids small plastic or oilboard pieces washing into drains while you are stenciling. "Stencil weeding" is a good activity for a short training meeting before going out to paint. For painting, an aerosol can or traffic-zone latex paint (without chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that harm the ozone) is a good option. Some stencilers use a small roller or stencil brush with recycled latex based paints. Be careful that younger stencilers do not apply the paint too thickly, as it will run under the stencil or smear the letters.
Call the media. Notifying the media of a stenciling event can get your watershed protection message out to the whole community. Young people in the project enhance media photo opportunities. Remember to take your own pictures, too. Avoid a Mess. Remind stencilers to wear old clothes. Rubber gloves and protective eye gear are helpful, as are plastic bags worn over expensive shoes. Bring rags to cleanup unexpected paint on your arms or fingers. Also include big litter bags to bring back used gloves and rags as well as any garbage you pick up which otherwise could go down the storm drain. Paint spray can drift onto nearby parked cars, so bring a large box opened flat to use as a shield around the stencil as you spray.
Avoid a mess. Remind stencilers to wear old clothes. Rubber gloves and protective eye gear are helpful, as are plastic bags worn over expensive shoes. Bring rags to cleanup unexpected paint on your arms or fingers. Also include big litter bags to bring back used gloves and rags as well as any garbage you pick up that otherwise could go down the storm drain. Paint spray can drift onto nearby parked cars, so bring a large box opened flat to use as a shield around the stencil as you spray.
Work in teams of four to six. The team should include a traffic look-out. Another two team members accompanied by an adult may go together door-to-door explaining the watershed drainage, your monitoring findings, local river fish and wildlife, and actions neighbors can take to avoid pollution (see flyer information below). Rotate jobs for maximum enjoyment.

Tips for applying stencils

Scrub the area briskly with a wire brush and dust it off with a whisk broom. Lay the stencil on the sidewalk or street next to the storm drain. If using spray paint, shake the can and hold it about six to eight inches from the stencil. Use a series of short back and forth motions to spray one line at a time until the letters are uniformly covered. Do not use too much paint as it will run underneath and blur the letters. When finished, carefully lift the stencil up off the street. It may take a little experience in the beginning to adjust the amount of paint. After finishing all the stenciling for the day, lay the stencils out flat to dry in a warm place. When the paint is completely dry, gently roll the mylar stencils to chip off the paint. This works best if the paint does not build up a thick layer between cleanings.

Prepare a flyer or doorhanger. After stenciling a message that tells neighborhood people what not to do (Dump No Waste), Girl Scouts can hand out and discuss a flyer or door hanger explaining:
• recycle used oil at nearby listed locations
• use fewer chemicals on lawns & gardens
• save household hazardous chemicals for collection days (give dates and location)
• pick up waste that would otherwise wash down storm drains
• other stewardship opportunities

Add local information for a sense of place:
• Where do neighborhood drains go into what river, bay, lake or aquifer
• If drains connect to combined sewer overflows (CSOs), how do they work? What happens with overflows during stormwater events? (They go straight to the river.)
• Who lives near or in the river? (Names of local species of fish, birds, and other critters.)
• What restoration projects are underway to clean up or replant streamsides, build and install bird or bat boxes, maintain local trails, etc.
• How can community members help with projects?

For information on drain stenciling programs across America, see our Links page.