Other activities besides overt dumping also pollute storm drains. Examples include overfertilizing the lawn, washing the car on pavement, or dumping yard waste into the gutter. Most important, the flyer needs to give people alternatives so they can avoid polluting. It should list nearby facilities for recycling automotive oil and household chemicals, describe alternative lawn and garden care, and so on. If stenciling is being done by a school class, the students can create their own flyer from information they research themselves.
Students feel empowered by doing research that has a real-world impact.
Public Works will probably issue a permit or letter of approval. They may even help out by providing storm drain maps, traffic safety cones, and vests. This is also a good time to find out whether your city will allow you to stencil on the sidewalk. If you aren't allowed to paint on the sidewalk, place the stencil on the street next to the storm drain, where your message can be easily seen. Consider Safety Especially when children are stenciling, seriously consider traffic safety issues when you select your site.