Schools For Clean Water Contest

October 7-21, 2026

Help reduce pollution in Downriver waterways and win money for your school by pledging to adopt a storm drain.
See list of participating schools below.

2026 Schools for Clean Water Contest Results

Thank you so much to everyone who pledged in this year’s Schools for Clean Water Contest. By checking on your storm drain to make sure it is clean of leaves, trash, and other debris, you are helping keep your local waterways clean and your streets free from flooding.

This year 15 schools brought in a total of 1,841 pledges to adopt storm drains.

Top Winners

Our top three schools did an amazing job bringing in pledges to support clean water. Congratulations!

First place ($1,500): Hunter Elementary School (636 pledges)
Second Place ($1,250): Arno Elementary School (560 pledge)
Third Place ($1,000): Chapman Elementary School (532 pledges)

Wild Card Winners

Although they didn’t get enough to place in the top three, the five Wild Card winners all collected more than 100 pledges. These schools were the lucky winners of our random Wild Card drawing for one of five $250 prizes:

• St. Pius Southgate (299 pledges)
• Anderson Elementary (286 pledges)
• Parsons Elementary (233 pledges)
• Oakley W. Best Middle School (226 pledges)
• Tyler Elementary (104 pledges)

2026 Participating Schools

• Anderson Elementary School (Trenton)
• Arno Elementary (Allen Park)
• Chapman Elementary (Rockwood)
• Clarence Randall Elementary (Taylor)
• Flat Rock Community High School (Flat Rock)

• Grosse Ile High School (Grosse Ile Township)
• Hedke Elementary (Trenton)
• Hunter Elementary (Gibraltar)
• Oakley W. Best (Dearborn Heights)
• Parsons Elementary (Gibraltar)
• St. Pius Southgate (Southgate)

• Trillium Academy (Taylor)
• Tyler Elementary School (Belleville)
• Wegienka Elementary School (Woodhaven-Brownstown School District)
• Weiss Elementary School (Gibraltar)

Original Photo by Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for EDUimages

Great Schools

Take the pledge to help local schools win cash for educational supplies and activities. Help kids — maybe even yours — learn good citizenship.

Clean Streams

Clean storm drains mean clean streams. Take the pledge to help keep local waterways clean for everyone to enjoy.

Safe Streets

Clogged storm drains cause flooded streets. Take the pledge to help prevent dangerous flash floods in roadways and neighborhoods.

What is the ADW Schools for Clean Water Contest?

This is a public service campaign to reduce pollution in the “downriver” portion of southern Wayne County, Michigan. Residents pledge to adopt a local storm drain and assign their pledge to a participating school. Schools that collect the most pledges win cash prizes they can use to purchase educational materials or support school projects.

A family of five picks up leaves from a storm drain.

Prizes

Prizes are awarded based on which schools collect the greatest number of pledges.

• First Place: $1,500
• Second Place: $1,250
• Third Place: $1,000

In addition to prizes for the top three, all remaining schools that earn at least 100 pledges will be entered into a drawing for one of five “wild card” prizes of $250 each.

Also, all participating schools can earn 1 credit towards becoming a Wayne County Green School.

Student Pledge Posters

Students have the opportunity to sign and submit a Student Pledge Poster, promising to do their part to keep trash out of local storm drains. In 2025, schools submitted a photo of the signed poster before the contest ended to earn up to 50 extra credit pledges.

Anderson Elementary
Anderson Elementary
Anderson Elementary
Anderson Elementary
Anderson Elementary
Anderson Elementary
Anderson Elementary
Anderson Elementary
Arno Elementary
Arno Elementary
Chapman Elementary
Chapman Elementary
Chapman Elementary
Chapman Elementary
Chapman Elementary
Chapman Elementary
Chapman Elementary
Chapman Elementary
Chapman Elementary
Chapman Elementary
Dr. Brenda Hauge Early Learning Village
Grosse Ile High School
Hedke Elementary
Hunter Elementary
Hunter Elementary
Hunter Elementary
Hunter Elementary
Hunter Elementary
Hunter Elementary
Hunter Elementary
Hunter Elementary
Hunter Elementary
Oakley W. Best Middle School
Parsons Elementary
St. Pius-Southgate
St. Pius-Southgate
St. Pius-Southgate
St. Pius-Southgate
Wegienka Elementary
Weiss Elementary

Blue Shirt Days

Schools can earn up to 100 extra credit pledges during the contest by organizing a Blue Shirt Day where students and staff wear a blue shirt. In 2025, schools submitted a group photo of students wearing blue shirts before the contest ended to earn credit.