Preventing Stormwater Pollution

You can do a lot to help minimize stormwater problems!

Start with doing one or more of the actions listed below:

Maintain your car or truck. Never dump anything down a storm drain. Always recycle used oil, antifreeze and other fluids. Fix oil leaks in your vehicles.
Wash your car at a commercial car wash rather than in the street or in your driveway. If you wash your car at home, wash it on your lawn.
Drive less. Leave your car at home at least one day each week and take a bus, carpool or bike to work. Combine errands when you drive. Get vehicle emissions checked and repaired. Buy a low emission vehicle.
Keep your ditches clean and free of debris. This will keep the water moving during rainfall and storms. Remember, debris in your ditch not only affects you, but your neighbors as well!
Cut down on fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. If you use these chemicals, follow directions and use them sparingly. Don't fertilize before a rainstorm. Consider using organic fertilizers. Let your lawn go golden brown in the summer months; it will rebound in the fall. Compost or mulch lawn clippings. Preserve existing trees or plant new ones - trees hold rainfall and help manage stormwater.
If you are on a septic system, maintain the system. Septic systems require regular inspections, maintenance and pumping, or they will fail, cost a lot of money to fix and could pollute nearby lakes and streams. Have a professional inspector check your system regularly and have it pumped out when needed.
Pick up after your pets and keep animals out of streams. Scoop your dog's poop and properly dispose of it. Also, make sure fences and other structures are keeping cows, horses and other animals out of streams. Compost manure in a designated area so that it doesn't wash off into nearby waterways.
If you have a pool, maintain it properly. The average swimming pool holds 19,000 balloons of water so be aware of proper maintenance procedures. Get more information.
Reduce impervious surfaces at home and increase the vegetated land cover of your property. Impervious surfaces include your roof, driveway, patios and lawn. Reduce rooftop runoff by directing your downspouts to vegetated areas, and not to the storm drain on your street. For your driveway and patios, consider putting in permeable paving or patterns of cement and brick that allow water to filter through it.
Support your local storm water program. Take advantage of opportunities to educate yourself and your family about your local watershed. Consider volunteering for one of the many environmental projects sponsored by the City.
Dispose of medicines properly by returning them to the pharmacy or putting them in the trash, not down the drain.

Get more information about cost saving ways measures that help the environment.

Grass recycling is a simple and easy way to help the environment. Grass recycling helps reduce disposal, labor, and fertilizer costs and most important, saves you time by not having to stop and empty the grass bag. You will also save up to 30% of your time when you aren't stopping to deal with grass clippings. Also, since you no longer need trash bags, there is no heavy lifting required.

Find out about the “Let It Lay, It’s Okay” program!

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City of Chesapeake, Virginia