The Grate Drain Race
For the first time in watershed district history, two watershed districts are going head-to-head in the Grate Drain Race!
From August 1st through November 30th, 2026, the Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed District and our neighboring watershed Nine Mile Creek Watershed District are competing to see which community can adopt and clean the most storm drains and make the biggest impact.
Participating residents are eligible for prizes in 4 different categories - the more you participate, the more chances you have to win! Help your watershed district clean its way to victory to unlock a bonus raffle for all participating residents of the winning district.
No supplies? No problem! We've got your back with cleaning kits available to borrow. Fill out the form here to keep a storm drain clean today!
Storm Drains and Adopt-a-Drain
Storm drains carry rain and snowmelt directly into our lakes and rivers without any treatment. This is a one-way ride for leaves, grass clippings, and other debris to go right into our waterways. By adopting a drain and checking for debris twice a month, you can help stop pollution from getting to our waterways!
We are partnering with Adopt-a-Drain, an environmental volunteer organization where folks "adopt" a drain and clean the drain twice a month. We will be keeping track of all of our data through this website.
How to Participate
Follow these steps to adopt a drain:
- Visit www.mn.adopt-a-drain.org
- Click the “Adopt-a-Drain" red button
- Enter in your address
- Claim an unadopted drain
- Give the drain a name!
Once you’ve adopted a drain, we’ll do the rest! There are no limits to how many drains you can adopt, but be mindful not to take on more than you can monitor.
Be sure to log each cleaning in the Adopt-a-Drain portal. If you don't record your cleanings, your efforts won't count toward the competition totals.
Already Adopted a Drain?
Great! You're already part of the challenge.
Even if you've previously adopted one or more drains, you can still help your watershed win.
From August 1st through November 30th, 2026, we'll also be counting:
- Every drain cleaning you complete
- Every pound of debris you collect
What Will be Measured
- Total new adoptions of drains
- Total amount of debris collected in the competition period (Aug 1-Nov 30, 2026)
- Total number of cleanings in the competition period
The watershed district who wins at least 2 of these 3 categories by the end of the competition will be declared the winner!
Prizes
There will be 13 total prizes, with 11 prizes raffled off and 2 individual prizes. Here is the breakdown of each:
- Best drain name (1 winner)
- 100th drain adoption (1 winner)
- Most cleanings (3 winners by raffle, more cleanings = more chances to win)
- Most adoptions (3 winners by raffle, more adoptions = more chances to win)
- Winning watershed raffle (5 winners from winning watershed)
Prizes being given away include:
- Rain Barrels
- MN Arboretum Memberships
- Three Rivers Park District Gift Vouchers
Competition Dashboard:
Keep track of Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed District's progress through this dashboard (updated weekly):
(dashboard coming soon)
Frequently Asked Questions
Isn’t it the city’s job to clean stormdrains?
No! Cities provide street sweeping and storm system maintenance but have no obligation to clean storm drains of any debris.
Do storm drains filter stormwater?
They do not. Storm drains send unfiltered water to our lakes, rivers, and creeks. That means any debris in storm drains goes right to our waterways. This is why keeping storm drains clean is so important!
What is the length of the competition?
The competition launches on August 1st and goes through November 30th, 2026. Adoptions, cleanings, and pounds of debris logged before August 1st or after November 30th will not be counted towards the competition.
I don't have cleaning supplies, can I still participate?
Yes! We have some cleaning supplies available for checkout. Click here to fill out this form requesting any cleaning materials you might need!
Can I win more than one prize?
Prizes are limited to one per household during the competition.
How are you judging the Best Drain Name category?
After the competition concludes, the Best Drain Name will be judged by a panel of three city officials from cities in both watershed districts (Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, and Bloomington). This will likely occur sometime in December.
