What is Storm Drain Art?

The City of Dayton’s Storm Drain Artscapes project highlights the importance of local storm drains while reminding citizens that whatever goes down the drain goes directly to the river. The unique, beautiful public art will also add to the vibrancy of downtown streetscapes.

This exciting project gives Dayton artists the opportunity to express themselves with semi-permanent public art. Artists will create small-scale, outdoor storm drain murals to communicate the function and importance of local storm drains and their connection to the rivers.

Why Storm Drains?

Storm drains are essential units of city infrastructure that can impact the health of the region’s rivers. Like many cities, Dayton’s municipal separate storm sewer system drains directly from city streets, parking lots and lawns to the river. As it moves to and through the storm drain system, stormwater can pick up anything in its path such as grease, oil, sediments, anti-freeze, fertilizer and pet waste. This water then travels through storm drains, untreated, to our local rivers and streams—NOT the wastewater treatment plant. That means when pollutants such as soapy water, oil, paint and trash are disposed of via storm drains, they end up directly in our waterways.