Adopt-a-Drain Community Challenge

Simple action. Cleaner Water. Community Pride.

In our urban landscapes, stormwater washes more than water through our neighborhoods. Leaves, grass clippings, trash, and road debris can all end up in storm drains — and from there, directly into our lakes, rivers, and streams. Removing debris so only water goes down the drain means less pollution, less algal blooms, and cleaner water.

That’s where the Adopt-a-Drain Community Challenge comes in.

Hosted with support from the ‪East Metro Water Resource Education Program (EMWREP)‬, this challenge helps communities turn small neighborhood actions into real water-quality impacts. Read more about the communities currently participating below!

If you are a community interested signing up for the challenge, check out this PDF with more information!

Woodbury vs Cottage Grove - A win for Water Quality!

The communities of Woodbury and Cottage Grove engaged in a little friendly competition this spring to boost storm drain adoptions and promote cleaner local waterways. From May 4 through May 31, 2026, residents adopted storm drains throughout their communities, helping their city climb the leaderboard while protecting lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands from pollution.

During the four-week challenge, residents adopted an impressive 82 storm drains. Each adopted drain now has a local steward committed to keeping it clear of leaves, grass clippings, trash, and other debris that can contribute to flooding and carry pollutants into nearby waters.

Because Woodbury has nearly twice the population—and many more storm drains—than Cottage Grove, challenge results were normalized by population to ensure a fair comparison.

Woodbury residents adopted 53 new storm drains, while Cottage Grove residents adopted 29 new storm drains. When adjusted for population, however, Cottage Grove edged out Woodbury by the narrowest of margins to claim the title.

Final Normalized Standings
(New Drain Adoptions ÷ Community Population × 1,000)

🥇 Cottage Grove: 0.66
🥈 Woodbury: 0.65

Congratulations to Cottage Grove on earning the Golden Gutter Award and bragging rights!

Beyond Adoptions: Real Water Quality Impact

While the challenge itself was based on getting new drain adoptions, it was also about empowering community residents to take action. Throughout May, volunteers monitored and cleaned their adopted storm drains, helping prevent debris from entering local waterways.

Challenge Impact

• Storm drains cleanings reported on Adopt a Drain website: 45 drains in Woodbury and Cottage Grove

• Pounds of debris collected: Over 165 pounds of material collected from those cleanings!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the challenge. Whether you adopted a drain, cleaned debris from a storm drain, or helped spread the word, your efforts are making a difference for cleaner neighborhoods and healthier waterways throughout both communities.

Lake Elmo - Done and done!

This spring, Lake Elmo kicked off one of the first local Adopt-a-Drain Community Challenges with a goal of increasing storm drain adoptions and encouraging residents to help keep drains clear during spring rains.

The community made great progress, adopting 15 new storm drains during the challenge period. While this did not meet their end goal of 20 new adopted storm drains, the challenge helped residents better understand how stormwater moves through neighborhoods and how small actions—like clearing leaves and debris from a nearby drain—can help protect local water quality. Plus, the community has logged over 35 cleanings of all their 96 adopted storm drains just this year, removing hundreds of pounds of debris and material from making to our lakes, rivers, and streams.

From engaging local Girl Scouts and Rotary Club to highlighting the named storm drains and community milestones, Lake Elmo has shown how a little fun and community pride can inspire real environmental impact.