The City of Champaign invites interested residents and property owners to assist in keeping neighborhoods beautiful and prevent potential street flooding, by participating in the “Adopt A Drain” program. Participation is voluntary. Anyone signing up will agree to clear the drain and 10 feet on each side free of debris approximately four times per year and before forecasted heavy rains.
Signing up is easy! Visit the Adopt A Drain webpage http://champaignil.gov/adoptadrain to review the description of the program, a link to frequently asked questions, and a link to an interactive map. The interactive map allows participants to search for, select, and name the drain(s) they wish to adopt. Once the drain(s) are selected, adopters will provide their names and emails and be required to accept a waiver of liability in the signup process.
The City maintains 18,542 storm manholes, of which 12,000 are open grate lids/inlets and 6,542 are closed lids. There are approximately 2 million feet of pipe in the stormwater system. The stormwater drainage system consists of inlets, pipes, swales, detention basins, and channels that flow into local streams and rivers.
Public Works staff continuously strives to keep City roadways and inlets free of debris by operating at least one of three street sweepers five days a week whenever temperatures are above freezing. Staff responds to service requests to clean inlets. Staff also inspects/cleans inlets in areas traditionally prone to flooding prior to forecasted storm events.
Several cities across the country have similar programs including Seattle, WA; Houston, TX; Nashville, TN; and Minneapolis, MN. Champaign is the first downstate city to implement this program, joining Algonquin, Itasca, and Naperville.
Additional questions may be directed to the City of Champaign Public Works Department at (217) 403-4700 between the hours of 7:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday.
Media Contact: Kris Koester, Administrative Services Manager & PIO | [email protected]