The Nevada Department of Transportation and Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful are teaming up to observe Stormwater Pollution Awareness Month this October to educate the public about the importance of preserving stormwater quality. 

[Above photo by the Nevada DOT]

Stormwater Pollution Awareness Month encourages communities to make smart choices when it comes to preserving the quality of stormwater in the desert, the two organizations explained in a statement – noting that simple actions can make a huge difference in terms of preventing stormwater contamination.

The public outreach campaign includes a poster contest for kids, as well as an educational webinar about how residents can prevent stormwater pollution through the “Love NV Waters” Facebook page. 

The contest is for elementary children in grades kindergarten through sixth, with the winners featured in a 2022 calendar with the first-place poster appearing as the cover art in the calendar. The Nevada DOT will then distribute those calendars to participating schools statewide.

The poster contest wraps up on October 15 with first-, second-, and third-place winners announced on October 22, the agency added.

Editor’s note: The Center for Environmental Excellence developed a practitioner’s handbook to assist transportation agencies in developing and/or implementing a stormwater management program that satisfies the requirements of the Clean Water Act. For those agencies already with a program already in place, the handbook offers useful tips and transportation-specific references to assist program implementation.