Stormwater Management Raising Awareness With Advertising Campaign

Stormwater Management - Feb. 15, 2008
Contact: Roseann L’Esperance, 747-6960

Stormwater Management has started a 20-week advertising campaign to increase awareness of the impact that stormwater has on water quality.

The campaign includes a 30-second commercial in which common stormwater pollutants are dumped into a goldfish bowl to dramatize the impact of stormwater pollution on water quality. The advertisements will run on WXII-TV, Animal Planet, the Weather Channel, News 14 and Home & Garden Television through June 28.

The campaign also includes advertisements at movie theaters and on WGBT 94.5 FM, a Hispanic radio station, says Roseann L’Esperance, the community educator for the Stormwater Management Division.

"We want citizens to be more aware of how our activities affect water quality. For instance, if I don’t pick up my pet waste, it gets washed into the storm drain. If I use excess pesticide or fertilizer, it gets washed into the storm drain. Disposing of anything in the storm drain sends it directly to the nearest lake or stream."

With the on-going drought having made people aware that water is in short supply, it is important that they learn to protect what water we have, L’Esperance said.

"Ultimately, it’s going to take everyone to protect our water quality. It can’t be some of us some of the time, but all of us, all of the time."