Stormwater picks up litter, sand, bacteria, oil and other chemicals as it flows over the land, and it carries these pollutants to our streams, ponds, and wetlands, usually without any treatment or cleansing. Runoff from paved surfaces, such as roads, parking lots, and driveways, may contribute large amounts of polluted stormwater.

Simply by practicing the “good housekeeping tips” found on this web site, stormwater will be cleaner as it flows into our lakes and rivers. Cleaning up stormwater not only benefits your neighborhood, it also benefits the entire network of water bodies and land that make up our watershed. We all need clean water for drinking, swimming, fishing, boating, and for protecting wildlife.

Our community performs many activities that are critical to keeping stormwater clean. Street sweepers pick up sand and winter debris so that these pollutants won’t be washed into storm drains. Most storm drains have catch basins that trap heavy particles that must be cleaned out regularly by our municipal crews to keep the drains clear. Many storm drains are being marked with a “storm drain marker” (pictured right), to remind people not to put anything down a storm drain.