Healthy water starts at your kerbside. Get involved in protecting Otago’s waterways, one stormwater drain at a time!

Adopt a Drain is an education initiative designed to empower Otago’s urban communities to protect local waterways from stormwater pollution. Individuals, families, neighbourhoods, community groups, businesses or schools can sign-up to ‘adopt’ their nearest stormwater drain and become guardians of their part of the stormwater network.

Each ‘adopted’ drain receives an ORC metal fish with an engraved QR code to learn more. The metal fish act as more than just a marker, they are a conversation starter and an important reminder that what goes down a stormwater drain doesn’t just disappear.

Our community programme is designed to fit the needs of urban neighbourhoods, businesses and community groups. To get started, email catchments@orc.govt.nz to express interest. Just include your name and a general idea of where you’re located (e.g. town, city, or suburb).

Once you’ve registered interest, our Catchment Advisor Team will get in touch to arrange a time and date that works for you. We’ll come to your street, work site, or place of interest for a 30-minute workshop, where you’ll learn: 

• What stormwater is

• How it travels through your area

• How to safely care for your local drains and simple actions you can take to prevent stormwater pollution

At the end of the workshop, we’ll install an ORC metal fish on your chosen stormwater drain (free of charge).

Installing a metal fish is just the beginning. As a drain guardian, you’ll help keep your chosen drain clear and put what you’ve learned into action. Together, these small actions help protect Otago’s waterways from stormwater pollution.

We've created this neat interactive map showing stormwater drains across Otago. When a drain has been adopted, a fish icon will appear. You can zoom in to explore the details – or find your own local drain. Please note, this map is built using publicly available data, there may be additional stormwater drains and systems that haven’t been included yet.

The Adopt-a-Drain map might take a moment to load – thanks for your patience!

Stormwater isn’t pure rainwater. As it flows over the ground and paved areas towards a drain, it picks up pollutants. Whatever goes down a stormwater drain, whether poured in intentionally or washed down with rainwater, enters our waterways untreated. Understanding how stormwater networks function and how to stop pollutants such as car oil, soap suds, solvents and fertilisers from entering a stormwater drain is important for everyone.

Check out our Only Drain Rain page to learn more. Remember: only drain rain. 

In Wānaka, local organisations the Touchstone Project and WAI Wānaka have been at the forefront of stormwater education in their community. In 2018, The Touchstone Project created metal cut-outs of local fish, known as 'Freshwater Beasties on Drains.' These fish were installed beside stormwater drains with the help of students from Wānaka Primary to remind the community of the connection between stormwater and local aquatic life. This initiative was a collaboration with Fish and Game Otago and Friends of Bullock Creek.

Building on this project, WAI Wānaka launched their Adopt a Drain initiative in 2022. The programme encourages urban residents, schools, and businesses of Wānaka, Hāwea and Luggate to take responsibility for their local stormwater drains. Learn more about WAI Wānaka’s Adopt a Drain programme here. 

In 2024, Otago Regional Council’s Catchment Advisor team met with WAI Wānaka to explore how the concept could be adapted and expanded across Otago. While inspired by the work happening in Wānaka, the ORC Adopt a Drain programme has now evolved into its own version – tailored to suit a range of local communities and designed to grow across the region.

Whether you’re ready to adopt a drain or just want to learn more, we’d love to hear from you!

If you live in Wānaka, Albert Town, Hāwea or Luggate, contact getinvolved@waiwanaka.nz to connect with the WAI Wānaka team.

If you live in any other urban area in Otago, including the Dunedin area, contact catchments@orc.govt.nz to reach our Catchment Advisor team.