Storm drain facts for kids
A storm drain is like a special pathway for extra rainwater and water from the ground. It helps drain water away from streets, parking lots, sidewalks, and roofs. This stops areas from getting flooded when it rains a lot.
Storm drains can be small, like a dry well for a house, or very big systems for whole cities. They collect water from street gutters on busy roads and in towns that get heavy rainfall or regular storms.
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What Are Storm Drains?
Storm drains are also called storm sewers in the U.S.. In Australia and New Zealand, they are known as stormwater drains. In the UK, people often call them surface water systems. No matter the name, their main job is to manage rainwater.
Why Do We Need Storm Drains?
Imagine a big rainstorm. Without storm drains, all that water would just sit on the streets. This could cause floods, make roads unsafe, and damage buildings. Storm drains quickly move the water away. This keeps our communities safe and dry.
How Do Storm Drains Work?
When rain falls on paved areas, it flows into street gutters. These gutters lead the water to openings in the ground, which are the storm drains. The water then travels through underground pipes. These pipes carry the water away from the streets.
Where Does the Water Go?
The water collected by storm drains usually flows into nearby rivers, lakes, or the ocean. It's important to remember that storm drain water is often not treated. This means it can carry pollution directly into our natural water bodies.
Keeping Storm Drains Clean
It's very important to keep storm drains clean. Things like trash, leaves, and chemicals can block the drains. This can cause floods. Also, anything that goes into a storm drain can end up in our rivers and oceans. This can harm plants and animals.
Protecting Our Water
Many places have signs near storm drains. These signs remind people not to dump waste into them. This helps protect our environment. By keeping storm drains clear and clean, we help keep our water clean too.
Images for kids
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Storm drain with its pipe visible beneath it due to construction work
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Full view of a storm drain in Ontario, Canada
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Storm drain in Küstrin (now Kostrzyn nad Odrą in Poland)
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A storm drain culvert under the main road empties into a bigger open channel
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A truck for cleaning storm drains
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Sign alerting public to avoid dumping waste into storm drains
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See also
In Spanish: Desagüe para niños
