Stormwater Pollution

Help Reduce Stormwater Pollution

Some people are quick to complain about water pollution, especially when it affects their favorite river, lake, or beach. They may not realize that they may be contributing to this pollution when they pour harmful materials down the drain or carelessly drop litter on the road. The reality is that we all have an impact on stormwater quality, and we can all take steps to make a difference. You could make a difference just by changing the way you do something, like washing your car or walking your dog.

Activities which seem harmless or insignificant on a small scale can have an enormous cumulative impact on our waterways. Imagine thousands of people in the streets around you dropping cigarette butts from their cars, sweeping dirt off their driveways or washing detergent off their cars down the street drains. It all ends up in the water.

At Home and on Your Street

Typical activities at home that can cause stormwater pollution are:

• Car washing on the street or driveway: using detergent and allowing it to run down the street drain.
• Fixing your car on the street: letting used oil or other automotive fluids such as antifreeze, transmission and brake fluid flow into the street drain.
• Disposing of garden waste: dumping or blowing grass clippings, leaves and other yard waste into the street where they can get washed into ditches, canals, or other storm drains.
• Cleaning paint brushes: letting the contaminated water flow into the street drain.
• Hosing the driveway or sidewalk: letting the water carry dirt, soil or other waste into the street drains.

At Work

Typical activities at work that can cause stormwater pollution are:

• Restaurants: not cleaning the grease trap regularly.
• Motor vehicle repairers or printers: allowing oil, chemicals or other waste to flow into the street drain.
• Builders: not shielding street drains from spilled chemicals, or excess soil, sand, gravel, or other building waste.
• All work places: allowing cigarette butts or litter to fall into gutters or on driveways; allowing chemicals, detergents or other harmful fluids to run directly into unshielded street drains.