Where Does Stormwater Go?

Stormwater is like water that runs off your street when it rains and goes on a little journey.

When it rains, water falls on the ground, sometimes on grass, sometimes on sidewalks, or rooftops. If the ground is hard, like a sidewalk, the water can't sink in, so it flows down the side of the street toward a drain. A drain looks like a little hole with a cover, you might see one near the edge of the road.

Once the water goes into the drain, it travels through big underground pipes, just like how your toy cars go through tunnels in a race track. These pipes take the water to a stormwater system, which is kind of like a giant bathtub that collects all the rainwater from the neighborhood.

Sometimes, this water ends up in a river, or even a lake, just like when you pour water from one cup into another. Other times, it might be pumped out somewhere else so the street doesn't flood during a big storm.

So next time you see water running down the street, remember, it's on its way to a new adventure!