In the Overstrand, a clever little reminder is popping up on pavements, and it’s helping to keep our seas clean!
Western Cape, South Africa (28 October 2025) – In coastal towns like the Overstrand, stormwater drains are direct pipelines to the ocean. That means whatever gets thrown into them, like plastic packets, nappies, paint, even old cooking oil, doesn’t vanish but flows directly into the sea.
To stop that seriously harmful chain of pollution, the municipality has relaunched a simple but very clever idea, The Storm Stencil Project.
It had its first run a few years ago in collaboration with the Dyer Island Conservation Trust and Whale Coast Conservation. It must have been successful, as the municipality has decided to bring it back.
Using nothing more than some white paint, stencils and creative hands to carry out the work, the project is turning stormwater drains into little reminders to keep our sea and wetlands safe.
Messages like ‘The Sea Starts Here’, ‘No Dumping, Drains To Ocean’ and ‘Defend Our Wetlands’ are stencilled directly onto pavements where drains are found, so the message is pretty much impossible to miss.
The aim is to catch people’s attention right where the problem begins and remind us all that looking after our drains is really about looking after the ocean.
The project also introduces specially designed nets, adorably called ‘storm socks’, currently being fitted to key drain outlets. These nets will trap waste before it can reach waterways, helping to keep litter out of rivers and bays.
Clean drains don’t just prevent pollution and keep the seas safe, they also stop blockages that cause flooding and keep stormwater systems working properly.
We love that schools have been roped into the campaign. Learners at Hermanus Christian Academy, Die Bron Primary, Hermanus Primary and Hawston Primary are taking the message forward through fun activities (like stencil painting) that link everyday choices to bigger conservation outcomes.
It’s such a clever way to raise awareness where it counts.
These tools make it harder to ignore the truth that the sea really does start at our feet, and that protecting it begins with the choices we make on land!
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