Storm Drain Mural Program

Step 1.Select a storm drain

Select one or several city-owned storm drains to paint. Consider storm drains that will be most visible or will have the most impact. Remember to think about the layout of your design when you select a storm drain. For instance, some storm drains have manhole covers so if one of these sites is selected, your design will have to incorporate them accordingly. Additionally, you may also consider orienting your mural so that it faces the sidewalk instead of the street so that more passersby can enjoy it. If you notice any crumbling or broken storm drains while scouting for sites, please report this to the city at (727) 562-4559.

A standard manhole cover can have any design painted on it, while a decorative manhole cover (pictured below) may not be painted.

Instead, plan to paint around decorative storm drain mural covers like the example from 625 Cleveland St. below:

If you decide to paint a non-decorative manhole cover as part of your design, remember that storm drain covers are lifted regularly for maintenance. Make sure that whatever is painted on these covers can be rotated, as maintenance crews will alter the orientation of the manhole cover during the regular course of work. See above for an excellent example of a manhole design that can be easily rotated.

Step 2.Create a design

A design that incorporates an environmentally conscious, ocean-friendly theme. All storm drain murals must include some language promoting watershed preservation, ocean friendliness, or litter prevention. Here are some examples of phrases your group could incorporate in the design although new ideas are also welcome:

• "A Healthy Gulf Starts Here"
• "Only Rain Down This Drain"
• "H2Only"
• "Keep it clean, we are all downstream" Include images of marine animals
• "Help a manatee and humanity! Only rain down this drain"
• "Keep it clean to keep our oceans pristine"
• "I Lead to the Ocean"
• "Clearwater Deserves Clear Water"
• "Keep Clearwater Bright and Beautiful"
• "{Insert name of neighborhood} keeps our oceans clean"

If you’d like to know which body of water your specific storm drain flows to so that you may incorporate that into your message, please email Sarah Kessler, the city's Environmental Specialist, at sarah.kessler@myclearwater.com.

Step 3.Decide on any stencils

Decide whether you want to include any stencils in your design. While stenciled art is easier to apply, murals can be more creative and eye-catching. If you decide to use stencils in your project, you may use any combination of the city’s pre-approved stencil kit or you may design and create your own. Participants may borrow pre-made stencils of above slogans A, B, E, H or I as well as stencils of fish, sharks and manatees.

Step 4.Submit a draft of your design

Once a draft of your design is complete, submit it through the Storm Drain Mural application, which can be found here. Please allow two weeks for your application to be reviewed.

Step 5.Inspection and Placard removal

If your application is approved, the Engineering department will inspect your selected storm drain(s) and remove any existing storm drain placards from your selected site(s) to make room for your design. Please allow two weeks for inspection and placard removal. You will be notified via email when your site is ready.

Step 6.Request supplies

Email neighborhoods@myclearwater.com to request your supplies, including the date you would like to pick up and return the materials to the city of Clearwater’s Planning and Development Department, located at 100 S. Myrtle Ave. Pick up and drop off must be on a weekday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Supplies may be checked out for up to two weeks. Note: If supplies are already reserved during your requested period, the city’s neighborhoods coordinator will work with you to find a different check out period.

Step 1.Plan your day to paint

Plan to paint on a day that is above 50 degrees, with no wind or rain. Ensure that the pavement you’ll be painting is completely dry before you start. Don’t paint if it’s likely to rain the following day. It typically takes 3-4 hours to complete a storm drain mural and in some cases, groups have split the work up over several days so plan accordingly leaving plenty of time for installation.

Step 2.Set up your painting area

• Set up traffic cones around the area you plan to paint.
• Thoroughly scrub the area you plan to paint with a wire brush to remove dirt and dust, increasing the longevity and vibrancy of your work.
• Wear gloves and remove any debris or waste clogging the storm drain.
• If you’ve decided to do a mural, use sidewalk chalk to draw the outlines of your design.
• Use painters tape to mark off the area so that when you paint, none leaves the designated area.
• If you’ve decided to do a stenciling project, tape your stencil down to hold it in place and to make sure that paint doesn’t get outside the stenciled area.

Step 3.Paint your design

Sherwin Williams ProPark traffic paint only comes in red, yellow, blue, white, and black but you may mix to achieve desired colors.

Be careful not to use too much paint or to get any paint down the storm drain or in the road. If stenciling, be sure to hold the spray can 4 to 8" from the pavement surface. If too much paint is applied to a stencil, it will run underneath the stencil and blur the design. Remember, more paint can always be added but it’s difficult to take any away.

Step 4.Put up a wet paint sign and leave the cones up until the paint has dried.

It should take less than an hour to be dry to the touch but wait a few hours to take the cones down and walk on it.

Once your mural is completely dry, apply a single coat of sealant to help your mural last longer.

Step 5.Thoroughly clean your work site

Leave no litter or waste behind. It is critical that waste water is dumped down a sink and not down a storm drain. Storm drain water flows directly to the ocean without treatment. If paint enters the stormwater system, contact Stormwater Maintenance at (727) 562-4950 from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday or call (727) 462-6633 after hours, weekends and holidays.

Step 6.Clean and drop off materials

Please ensure that all brushes are cleaned, paint cans have been properly resealed, and any used paint rollers have been properly disposed of before returning the supplies to the city of Clearwater’s Planning and Development Department, located at 100 S. Myrtle Ave. Drop off must be on a weekday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. If you made your own stencils, consider donating them so other groups can use them too.

Step 7.Send photos and celebrate your work

Send photos of your completed design to neighborhoods@myclearwater.com, so that the city can celebrate your work. If you have any suggestions for improvements to this process, please let us know.

Want to do even more? Consider hosting an unveiling party for your project or, depending on how many storm drains you’ve painted, organize a walking tour to show off your work and educate the public. If you want to go even further in your efforts to preserve Clearwater’s watershed, consider joining the city’s Adopt-A-Waterway program.

Step 8.Maintain

Continue being an excellent steward of your storm drain by retouching your design as necessary, removing any debris that clogs your drain, and reporting any other issues with your drain to the city of Clearwater’s Engineering Department at (727) 562-4750. If our maintenance crews notice that a mural is looking a little worse for the wear, we’ll email the project lead to request that the mural be retouched.