Somerville Residents Open Hearts to New Pets: Storm Water Drains

From cats and dogs to sugar gliders, African servals, and mudpuppies, Massachusetts residents have an interesting history of opening their hearts and homes to strange creatures. Now, the City of Somerville is suggesting a new option: drains.

Increased flooding due to climate change has caused more combined sewer overflows — like when stormwater and wastewater found their way into the Mystic River last May. So, the city has decided to give residents a new role in flood prevention through its Adopt-a-Drain program. After choosing a drain and naming it, drain adopters clear out leaves and debris from the drain twice a month, logging the amount of debris they clean up online to measure the program’s impact.

The project is a partnership between the City of Somerville under Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the Mystic River Watershed Association, which focuses on community education and biodiversity monitoring throughout Arlington, Everett, Somerville, and other towns whose runoff contributes to the river. The program’s goal is to mitigate flooding and reduce pollution in local waterways. Somerville has more than 3,600 storm drains, and so far, 496 have been adopted. An interactive map on the program’s website shows the locations of these adopted drains. The support from the city government generated interest in the program, which had previously existed through the Watershed Association and through a pilot program in neighboring Medford.

Part of the excitement about the program is that it’s a newfound outlet for creativity because residents choose to name their new “pets.” Some opted for punny sayings like “Emotionally Drained” and “The Grateful Drain.” Others parody song lyrics like “You’re So Drain, You Probably Sink This Name Is About You” and “He Was Sunshine I Was Midnight Drain.” Then there are the regular-shmegular drains of the world: “Drian” and “Drainiel.”

“Folks were really excited to name the catch basins and truly adopt these things and take care of them,” says Lucica S. Hiller, Somerville’s stormwater program manager. “It’s almost like a competition to see who can come up with the funniest name.”

While stormwater management is usually seen as the purview of city government, this program expands those boundaries, giving residents a direct stake in protecting the well-being of their surrounding environment. However, caring for adopted drains is hard work, especially when there are so many alternatives for adoption — as one Somerville Reddit user put it, “I already have my hands full trying to put two highways through college.”

Others are conflicted about whether this maintenance role should be shared with constituents. One commented, “Sounds like free labor to exploit people who already take on too much personal environmental responsibility. I’ll gladly adopt the pothole on Highland Ave that gave me a flat tire though.”

On the other hand, Hiller hopes the program can be an opportunity for connection within communities: “It’s a way to bring the street together — maybe the kids could do it together.” She notes that one resident even mentioned to her that they were planning a drain-clearing block party for their neighborhood.

Participation could also help residents learn more about the stormwater system, which is critical to the city’s infrastructure but is often relegated to the background of daily life. On their stormwater management page, visitors can not only sign up to adopt but also to learn about the purpose and importance of these drains, and potential drain guardians can find information on how to master the ins and outs of caring for their new pets.

“The main goal of this program is honestly education,” Hiller says. “It’s a way for us to educate the public about stormwater, how our systems work, where the stormwater goes, where it doesn’t go, what it is in stormwater, or what causes flooding.”

As one drain’s name asserts, “With Grate Power Comes Grate Responsibility.” Caring for drains can be a dangerous task. Drains might be situated next to oncoming traffic, debris might be unfit for bare hands to handle, and wet and slippery conditions require extra caution. “I always say to people, ‘Please be careful. Don’t go in the streets right when you do this. Don’t, don’t, don’t get hurt, please,’” Hiller says. Volunteers are advised to be mindful of their surroundings and to take precautionary measures to ensure safety.

These conditions are exacerbated by the dated infrastructure of the city. Somerville faces additional challenges from its older stormwater management system and hilly topography, which contribute to worsened flooding in lower areas, like Union Square. As the city works to upgrade its existing infrastructure, which takes significant time and tax dollars, programs like this one can relieve the burden while also building community.

Adopting a drain is no easy feat, but it’s a rewarding one, Somerville residents report. So for those of you hoping to keep a pet on campus, especially all of the quadlings that practically live in Somerville, there might just be a perfect solution: Adopt a drain.