As an Arizona kid, you are likely used to many days of hot, dry weather. When we get the occasional rainstorm, do you celebrate by dancing in the rain (but never during a thunderstorm), rather than heading indoors to stay dry? 

You may have learned about the earth’s water cycle and how water moves from the earth to the atmosphere and back to earth.

When water falls to the earth as rain, we call that STORMWATER. In the Sonoran desert, this water can soak into the ground or flow over different surfaces like roads, driveways, sidewalks and parking lots, into washes, gutters and drains, eventually making its way into storm drains that empty into our local streams, washes, rivers, and oceans. Stormwater is not treated like the water we use in our homes, so any pollutants (things like oil, chemicals, fertilizers and even pet waste) that go into a storm drain can affect the environment in a harmful way. ADOT works to reduce these pollutants and well as reduce the amount of litter on our roads that can clog freeway drains. Check out the cool hydrovac truck that ADOT crews use to help clean up the trash in the drains.  This video starring “Stormwater Stanley” can help you learn more about stormwater in the desert and why it is important to protect our waterways. 

Here is a fun activity you can download and print where you can help solve a hidden message about stormwater and storm drains! You can visit the ADOTKids website at azdot.gov/adotkids  for more fun and educational activities and videos!