The Nansemond River Preservation Alliance is planning to place medallions on stormwater drains throughout Suffolk that will be reminders to citizens that any water that goes down will drain into the rivers.

“It’s to educate people that any waste that goes down goes to the river,” said John Wass, the alliance’s treasurer and a member of its education committee.

Although no specific dates have been selected, the project should take place in late spring into early summer, he said.

The task will be completed by volunteers, and Wass said the alliance hopes other community groups, such as boy scouts and civic leagues, will get involved in the project. He said he hopes the groups that get involved will feel like they own part of the project.

At the alliance’s meeting Tuesday, Deputy Director of Public Works L.J. Hansen, who was the guest at the meeting, told members his office might be interested in being a part of the medallion project.

Some medallions are in place already on a few streets Suffolk, Wass said.

He said the medallions have been purchased, and now, it is just a matter of gluing them to the storm water drains around the city.

In addition to the medallion project, Wass said the alliance will be part of a program with Suffolk Public Schools to allow middle school students raise oysters.

The program will start next year and give students an opportunity to raise baby oysters while learning about water quality, he said.

The oysters will be put on floats in the river, and students will visit every month to measure the oysters’ progress.

Wass said the alliance also wants to implement the program in Isle of Wight County schools.