Stormwater FAQ's
- Pick up your pet’s waste! Leaving waste on the ground increases public health risks by allowing harmful bacteria and nutrients to wash into the storm drain.
- Do not apply fertilizer and pesticides before it rains. Contrary to popular belief, the rain will not help soak chemicals into the ground; instead, it creates polluted runoff which can go into the storm drain.
- Don’t blow grass clippings or leaves into the street and sweep up any clipping or leaves or blow them back onto your lawn. Although leaves and grass clippings are biodegradable, the process of decomposing robs oxygen from the water and can also clog the stormwater system causing flooding.
- Don’t wash your car in the driveway where soapy water can drain into the storm drain. If possible, use biodegradable soap or try to wash your car on a lawn or other unpaved surface.
- Don’t over-fertilize. Have your soil tested before you fertilize. It’s been shown that you don’t need to fertilize as often as people think. The excess fertilizer will just run off into the storm drain if too much fertilizer is applied to the lawn.
- Don’t pour oil into the stormdrain. Oil should be recycled at the local recycling center or some oil change businesses will take your used oil if you ask them since they usually sell it to a recycler themselves.
- Check your car, boat, or motorcycle for leaks. Clean up spilled fluids with an absorbent material and do not rinse it into the storm drain.
- Do not pump your pool water into the street or storm drain; pool chemicals can be hazardous to aquatic habitats. Drain your pool into the sanitary sewer system where it can be treated.
- Turn off your sprinklers when it rains to avoid runoff.
- Dispose of your paint and other household wastes at recycling facilities or events; do not throw excess household chemicals and wastes on the street or in the storm drain.
- Don’t throw any garbage into the storm drain or ditches and canals. This will clog up the stormwater system and can cause flooding during the next rain event. Remember, the house you flood may be your own!