Cindy Bryan painting the waterfall (photos by Katie Lyon)

Cindy Bryan, art professor at Grace College, is currently working on a big project. The art department at Grace College, Center for Lakes and Streams and the City of Warsaw storm waters department are teaming up to bring new life to the cities storm drains.

Bryan, along with around a dozen students, will paint storm drains around the community. It is hoped the project will bring awareness on the importance of keeping the storm drains clean from grass clippings, chemicals, trash and other pollutants, which can easily mix with rain water and melting snow. The pollutants enter the drains and flow untreated water into the lakes and waterways.

This is the sketch of what the drain will look like once it is finished

Bryan has been working on the drain at the Center Lake pavilion in Warsaw for approximately 15 hours. She hopes to have this drain completed for the Lakes Festival tomorrow. Bryan plans to have 15 drains painted by next summer by a class of about a dozen students.

According the Bryan, the paint is very durable. It is a special mural paint containing UV protectant. The paint is designed for outdoor use. “Each drain will have a different design,” said Bryan. The drains will represent what is on the other side of the drain whether it be a lake, stream or nature preserve.

Bryan testing the paints before applying to the concrete surface.

Bryan tested different paints, sealants and paint removers in case the drains would need to be removed. Bryan and a few other volunteers will be painting the storm drain from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, June 19.

Cindy Bryan featured, second from the left, and to her right is Madisson Heinl, communications specialists for the Center for Lakes and Streams. The two girls on the outside are volunteer civic engineer interns.