Source Water Protection

Adopt-a -DrainAdopt a Drain Slogan with Drawing of Stormdrain

The City of St. Cloud is launching a program to allow residents to adopt storm drains in their neighborhood. The goal of the new Adopt-a-Drain program is to engage residents in protecting area rivers, lakes and wetlands by volunteering to keep their adopted storm drains clear of sediment, trash, yard waste and debris.

Keeping storm drains clean protects waterways from polluted stormwater runoff that flows unfiltered from our streets into local waterways. In addition to trash, road salt and chemicals, organic debris like leaves and grass clippings also threaten the health of our waters. Decaying leaves and grass that wash into storm drains release nutrients into lakes and rivers that feed excess growth of algae.

For more information on how to adopt a drain, visit the Get Involved page on the City’s Stomwater webpage.

The Mississippi River is the sole source of drinking water for the cities of St. Cloud and Minneapolis, and the primary source for St. Paul. Working collaboratively, the 3 cities' water utilities have successfully prepared source water protection plans (plan) through the Upper Mississippi River Source Water Protection Project (UMRSWPP).

Funding for the UMRSWPP was provided by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), the individual water suppliers and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). The Minnesota Rural Water Association (MRWA) and Metropolitan Council are also project sponsors.

Each Source Water Protection Plan Includes:
  • A delineated source water protection area
  • An inventory of potential point and non-point contaminant sources
  • A description of management strategies and objectives for implementation.