Street Smarts: How Storm Drain Murals Are Cleaning Up Worcester

By Amelia Tieri

In most cities, storm drains go unnoticed, but in Worcester, Massachusetts they command attention. In 2023, Worcester’s Sewers Division faced a growing problem: catch basins in residential and commercial areas alike were being overrun with debris. Rather than collecting storm water from the streets and dispensing it into a nearby waterbody, Worcester’s storm drains were delivering pollutants directly to our local waterways and contaminating them. During their usual catch basin cleaning, Ian Weyburne and his team from the Sewers Division frequently encountered unexpected items blocking the drains, including everything from plastic bottles to dog waste bags, and restaurant grease. This issue persisted until one day, Weyburne had enough. It called for a creative solution and the fight against water pollution started right on the pavement.

Enter Miranda Hotham, the Worcester Green Corps Coordinator at the time, who had a passion for environmental stewardship and community involvement. As part of the Worcester Green Corps, a public-private partnership between the City, the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the United Way, Hotham was uniquely positioned to turn an infrastructure issue into a story about civic innovation. Hotham had recently met Weyburne and local artist Sharinna Travieso. She quickly realized the three of them could collaborate to solve this issue. Hotham, Travieso, and Weyburne coordinated the creation of a collection of 13 murals by 8 local artists to be installed near some of the city’s busiest storm drains. These murals were painted with the generous support of the Worcester Arts Council, WooSox Foundation, and Major Bloom in the hopes of grabbing attention and discouraging people from treating catch basins as trash bins. In addition to enhancing stormwater awareness, these colorful installations increased visual appeal in commercial areas, drawing more attention and foot traffic to nearby storefronts.

Building on this momentum, Amelia Tieri took over as the Worcester Green Corps Coordinator. Tieri had admired the Catch Basin project and quickly connected with Travieso and Weyburne to plan another round of murals. However, it wasn’t until 2025 that they got the project off the ground with support from the FY25 Massachusetts Earmark, allocated by Senator Michael Moore, as well as two grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Coalition and the New England Grassroots Fund, respectively. This support allowed for greater investment in local artists and Worcester’s creative economy.

With a shared commitment to expanding the projects reach and message, the team hired 16 muralists to paint 19 more catch basin murals, but this time with a stronger focus on communicating the environmental message behind the art. Weyburne selected the locations, Travieso coordinated the artists and painted two murals herself, while Tieri built an informative page on the Green Corps website and planned an event to engage the public. Held at the Museum of Worcester, this event provided residents with the opportunity to directly-connect with artists and organizers alike as well as interact with the subject matter in a hands-on-way.

Today, a total of 32 catch-basin murals span across Worcester, improving the city’s aesthetics and walkability. In addition to the tangible reduction of litter, the murals have sparked pride and positivity among residents and businesses alike. During the project, Worcester Green Corps saw both increased website traffic and social media engagement, highlighting the citywide interest in creative sustainability initiatives. On social media, people described the murals as “beautiful,” “a brilliant idea,” and “a gorgeous reminder to think before we dump anything down the drain.” One community member shared, “If this sweet mural was on my way to school every day when I was a kid, it would have totally brightened my world.” Others chimed in from across the country asking how they could bring a similar project to their own communities.

The murals may be painted on pavement, but their message ripples far beyond the curb. They reflect a broader movement to make Worcester a cleaner, more vibrant place to live, work, and visit. And they remind us that when city departments, nonprofits, artists, and business leaders come together, the impact is transformative.

Visit https://worcestergreencorps.org/catch-basin-murals/ to see the murals, sponsor a future piece, or learn how your business can partner with Worcester Green Corps.

Amelia Tieri is the Coordinator for the Worcester Green Corps

Read the rest of Chamber Exchange: The Newspaper, Summer 2025