Adopt a needy storm drain

Jose Paul Corona

People adopt children and pets. Some even adopt highways. But who ever

heard of adopting a storm drain?

It seems the city of Huntington Beach has, as it would like many

people to do just that.

The Huntington Beach City Council unanimously agreed that the city

would participate in the Adopt-A-Stormdrain program during its May 20

meeting.

Much like the Adopt-A-Highway program, Adopt-A-Stormdrain will raise

funds through corporate sponsorships to help local governments pay for

pollution prevention and cleanup efforts.

The program’s goal is to heighten awareness about cleanup efforts,

said Paul Polizzotto, president and founder of the program.

The Environmental Protection Agency and the Clean Water Act have given

local governments more strict requirements in order to prevent pollution,

but cities aren’t provided with enough funding to comply with these new

measures.

The Adopt-A-Stormdrain program will help cities differ cleanup costs

while giving local businesses affordable outdoor advertising.

Polizzotto was quick to add that participation in the program won’t

cost city residents a dime.