Lodi City Council to recognize two decades of Storm Drain Detectives
More than two decades ago, a faulty piece of equipment in the city’s wastewater treatment system prompted the creation of a public education program and citizen-run team to monitor pollution levels in the water.
That citizen-run team performed its monitoring activities in 2000, and this week, it will be recognized for 20 years of service to the City of Lodi.
The Lodi City Council on Wednesday will present a proclamation to the Storm Drain Detectives program, celebrating its 20year anniversary.
“It’s been a really good program,” Watershed Program Coordinator Kathy Grant said. “What I’ve appreciated about it over the years was getting to know the people in the city and connecting with the students so they understand where our water goes, its quality, the importance of permit requirements and all things related to our water.”
Grant helped create the Storm Drain Detectives program in 1998 as a volunteer.
While she had no background in science and admits she was underqualified, she has remained on board, mentoring students and helping them understand the basics of pH levels, nitrates and electrical conductivity of water, among other things.
In 1998, the city’s wastewater facility self-reported high chlorine levels in wastewater discharge due to a faulty piece of equipment, resulting in a discharge violation issued by the State Water Resource Control Board, according to Wednesday’s agenda.
In response, the city worked with the SWRCB to develop a supplemental environmental project, including a watershed public education program, and the Storm Drain Detectives.
The SDD program has become a Lodi fixture over its 20-year existence, with more than 3,500 students participating and collecting some 10,000 water quality samples in that time.
Each month, students and teachers sample five sites along the Mokelumne River to determine how Lodi’s wastewater affects water quality in the river. The data is published every May at www.lodi.gov/505/MonthlyData.
Former Lodi High School student Dylan O’Ryan joined the program in his sophomore year and fell in love with it almost from the beginning.
“It was fun to do a lot of handson things that I hadn’t been exposed to prior,” he said. “As I went more and more, I started to really
understand water quality tests, the different sites we were going to and how their levels were affecting our water.”
During his time as a Lodi High student and member of the Storm Drain Detectives, O’Ryan helped create a best management practices program that focused on water pollution. The program was entered into a regional contest, and placed second, he said.
In addition, O’Ryan became a regular writer for the Mokelumne Current, updating residents about the conditions of the river and its water.
He also volunteered with Grant at the NorCal Science Festival, giving hands-on demonstrations to other students from across the county to help them understand the basics of water quality and pollution.
The SDD program influenced O’Ryan’s career path, and last semester he took an environmental science course at Delta College. He’s transferring to UC Davis to continue learning more about water.
He still volunteers with Grant and the Lodi Unified School District teachers that lead the program, and said he enjoys mentoring younger students.
“I really do enjoy the program and want it to succeed,” he said. “That’s a factor that kept me coming back. I enjoy knowing the students I’ve met and worked with, and I’m trying to connect more students to the program. We really do need new people entering the field and to get more students engaged. There are a lot of opportunities in water science now.”
A handful of teachers will be recognized Wednesday for helping the program become a success over its 20-year existence, including Melissa Turner and Jud Atwater at Lodi High School, Sandi Starr at Tokay High School, Janine Jacinto at Heritage School and Joe Serna Charter School and Melanie Martinez at Reese Elementary School.
Grant will also have some of the program’s original volunteers on hand during the meeting to recognize their contributions as well, she said. To learn more about the program, visit www.lodi,gov/ 492/Storm-Drain-Detectives.