Savannah Residents To 'Adopt A Drain' To Keep Storm Drains Clear

Caption

Savannah's famous trees and Spanish moss make for a lot of debris, which can clog storm drains and damage water quality. / AP

Savannah is trying a new way to keep storm drains from clogging: having volunteers "adopt a drain."

The city is famous for its tree-lined streets.

But all the trees and Spanish moss also make for a lot of debris, which can clog stormwater drains and damage water quality.

So, the volunteer Savannah Trash Warriors and the civic technology group Open Savannah pitched an idea: let residents adopt their local drain and keep it clear.

Laura Walker with the city of Savannah said stormwater crews will be happy to have the help.

"It's just been awesome to see that those two issues are at the forefront of our citizens and they're willing to go out and take their time to do something about it," Walker said.

The groups debuted a prototype of their app Wednesday night. 

The program, which is in the early stages, is based on similar initiatives in other cities.