Forsyth County Students Win Storm Drain Art Contest, Earn $100 Prize

Evana Deivasankar, Mishri Patel, and Arsh Pulavarthi each walked away with $100 and something more visible: the chance to paint their original artwork directly onto a storm drain outside their school, turning county infrastructure into a public lesson about water quality.

The three students were named winners of the fifth annual Storm Drain Art Contest, co-sponsored by Keep Forsyth County Beautiful and the Forsyth County Department of Water & Sewer. The contest challenges Forsyth County middle and high school students to create original artwork centered on the theme "Only Rain Goes Down the Drain," with designs selected for both artistic merit and their ability to communicate watershed protection to the broader community. Each winner also receives a certificate of recognition alongside the $100 prize.

The painted storm drains become permanent fixtures outside the winners' schools, joining a growing collection of student-designed installations at campuses across the county. Tammy Keaton, Forsyth County Manager of Environmental Programs, has described the program's dual purpose: "We all play an important role in keeping our waterways clear of litter, yard clippings and chemicals. Our talented contest winners are not only painting a storm drain but also beautifying our community as they help educate residents about watershed health."

The environmental stakes behind that message are tangible in Forsyth County. When rain falls across streets, parking lots, and lawns, it collects trash, motor oil, pet waste, fertilizers, sediment, yard clippings, and chemicals before flowing into storm drains that empty directly into rivers, lakes, and streams. With Lake Lanier and the Chattahoochee River running through and alongside the county, that runoff carries direct consequences for local drinking water sources and sensitive aquatic ecosystems.

Previous winning designs have been installed at Central Forsyth High School, South Forsyth High School, West Forsyth High School, Lambert High School, Denmark High School, South Forsyth Middle School, Piney Grove Middle School, and the Cumming City Center. Past titles have included "Salamander Balance," "River Fish and Rain Fish," "The Fish and the Flowers," and "Stop Litter."

The contest grew out of cross-state inspiration. A former Forsyth County manager read about a similar program in Florida and brought the idea to the county water department. Apryl Milam, Community Outreach Specialist at Keep Forsyth County Beautiful, developed and launched it, drawing on an established storm drain art program at the University of North Texas and receiving guidance from a board member of Keep Texas Beautiful during the planning stages.

The fifth annual contest opened January 5, 2026, with Deivasankar, Patel, and Pulavarthi ultimately claiming the top spots. They follow Saanvi Bodhireddy of Denmark High School, Amy Jing of Lambert High School, and Namrata Joshi of South Forsyth Middle School, who won the fourth annual contest in 2025, and Emma Arnett of West Forsyth High School and Aditri Thakur of South Forsyth Middle School, who won in 2024.

Keep Forsyth County Beautiful coordinates much of the county's in-school environmental education programming, with water quality awareness forming a significant portion of that curriculum. The Storm Drain Art Contest converts school sidewalks and entryways into lasting reminders that every drain in Forsyth County connects directly to a larger watershed.