With the help of volunteers from KeyBank and Key Equipment Finance during a recent Neighbors Make the Difference Day, the City of Westminster in Colorado is raising awareness of the essential need to keep the stormwater drain system free of pollution and contaminants.
Education helps reduce pollution
Untreated, contaminated water that drains from local streets into the storm drain system is considered stormwater, according to a recent post on the city's website. Rainwater and snowmelt not absorbed by the soil runs into street curbs, storm sewers, ditches and ponds, taking with it everything in its path, including grass clippings, fertilizers, pesticides, oil, pet waste and more.
By integrating public art — in this case painted murals — with the storm inlet system, the city’s stormwater program informs citizens about its efforts to keep Westminster waterways clean.
Key Volunteers Make Impact
To convey these messages, the volunteers from Key painted the stormwater drains with scenes depicting kids floating on tubes, people fishing, and fish swimming. The images included messages such as "no dumping," "keep our water fishable/swimmable" and "keep our waterways clean" to create awareness of the connection between stormwater, lifecycle activities and surrounding habitat.
Philanthropy creates strong communities
Key recognizes being part of a community means working to make it better. For this reason, Key focuses its corporate responsibility initiatives on philanthropy, sponsorships and outreach to enhance the cities, towns and counties where employees live and work.
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