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Home > Storm Water Management Information |
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Information |
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Healthy
Household Habits for Clean Water |
Stormwater runoff
is generated from land surfaces and impervious areas such as paved streets,
parking lots, and building rooftops during rainfall and snow events.
Unfortunately, this runoff can contain pollutants in quantities that adversely
affect water quality.
Stormwater
pollution is caused by the daily activities of people everywhere. Rainwater and
snowmelt run off streets, lawns, farms, and construction and industrial sites
and pick up fertilizers, dirt, pesticides, oil and grease, and many other
pollutants on the way to our rivers, lakes, and coastal waters. Stormwater
runoff is our most common cause of water pollution. Because stormwater
pollution is caused by so many different activities, traditional regulatory
controls will only go so far.
Healthy
Household Habits for Clean Water
By practicing healthy household
habits, homeowners can keep common pollutants like pesticides, pet waste, grass
clippings, and automotive fluids off the ground and out of stormwater. Adopt
these healthy household habits and help protect lakes, streams, rivers,
wetlands, and coastal waters. Remember to share the habits with your neighbors!
Vehicle and Garage
• Use a commercial car wash or
wash your car on a lawn or other unpaved surface to minimize the amount
of dirty, soapy water flowing into the storm drain and eventually into your
local waterbody.
• Check your car, boat,
motorcycle, and other machinery and equipment for leaks and spills. Make
repairs as soon as possible. Clean up spilled fluids with an
absorbent material like kitty litter or sand, and don’t rinse the spills into a
nearby storm drain. Remember to properly dispose of the absorbent
material.
• Recycle used oil and
other automotive fluids at participating service stations. Don’t dump
these chemicals down the storm drain or dispose of them in your trash.
Lawn and Garden
• Use pesticides and fertilizers sparingly.
When use is necessary, use these chemicals in the recommended amounts. Avoid
application if the forecast calls for rain; otherwise, chemicals will be washed
into your local stream.
• Select native plants and
grasses that are drought- and pest resistant. Native plants require less
water, fertilizer, and pesticides.
• Sweep up yard debris,
rather than hosing down areas. Compost or recycle yard waste when possible.
• Don’t overwater
your lawn. Water during the early morning (before 9 am), and don’t let water run off into the storm drain.
• Cover piles of dirt and mulch
being used in landscaping projects to prevent these pollutants from blowing or
washing off your yard and into local waterbodies.
Vegetate bare spots in your yard to prevent soil erosion.
Home Repair and Improvement
• Before beginning an outdoor
project, locate the nearest storm drains and protect them from debris
and other materials.
• Sweep up and properly
dispose of construction debris such as concrete and mortar.
• Use hazardous substances like
paints, solvents, and cleaners in the smallest amounts possible, and
follow the directions on the label. Clean up spills immediately, and
dispose of the waste safely. Store substances properly to avoid leaks and
spills.
• Purchase and use nontoxic,
biodegradable, recycled, and recyclable products whenever
possible.
• Clean paint brushes in a
sink, not outdoors. Filter and reuse paint thinner when using oil-based
paints. Properly dispose of excess paints through a household hazardous
waste collection program, or donate unused paint to local organizations.
• Reduce the amount of
paved area and increase the amount of vegetated area in your yard. Use native
plants in your landscaping to reduce the need for watering during dry periods.
Consider directing downspouts away from paved surfaces onto lawns and other
measures to increase infiltration and reduce polluted runoff.
Pet Care
• When walking your pet, remember
to pick up the waste and dispose of it properly.
Swimming Pool and Spa
• Drain your swimming pool
only when a test kit does not detect chlorine levels.
• Drain your pool or spa so that
the water does not disturb soil or debris, and does not cause erosion.
• Properly store pool and spa
chemicals to prevent leaks and spills, preferably in a covered area to
avoid exposure to stormwater.
Septic System Use and
Maintenance
• Have your septic system inspected
by a professional at least every 3 years, and have the septic tank pumped
as necessary (usually every 3 to 5 years).
• Care for the septic system drainfield by not driving or parking vehicles on it.
Plant only grass over and near the drainfield to
avoid damage from roots.
• Flush responsibly.
Storm drains connect to waterbodies!
The U.S. EPA promulgated Phase
I of the stormwater management program in 1990 under the authority of the Clean
Water Act. Under this program, permitting is required through the
National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). The Phase I program
covered three categories of discharges: (1) “medium” and “large” Municipal
Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s) generally serving populations over 100,000,
(2) construction activity disturbing 5 acres of land or greater, and (3) ten
categories of industrial activity.
Phase II of the stormwater management program is the next
step in the EPA’s effort to preserve, protect, and improve the Nation’s surface
water resources from polluted storm water runoff. The Phase II program expands
the Phase I program to include all urbanized areas and smaller construction
sites.
Although it is a federal program, the Phase II Stormwater
permit is issued and regulated by the Maine DEP. Under the MS4
regulations, a municipality must implement the following six Minimum Control
Measures: (1) Public education and outreach, (2) Public participation, (3)
Illicit discharge detection and elimination, (4) Construction site storm water
runoff control, (5) Post-construction stormwater management, and (6) Pollution
prevention/good housekeeping. A copy of the permit is located at: http://www.state.me.us/dep/blwq/docstand/stormwater/MS4.htm
The permit requires the Town to develop a draft Stormwater
Management Plan by
In
One requirement of the DEP NPDES Stormwater permit is to
develop a draft Stormwater Management Plan by
The Town developed a draft Stormwater Management Plan and
submitted it to the Maine DEP on
In addition to the information and links presented under the topic of regulations (above), there is a lot more information available about stormwater quality and measures that can improve water quality. As a starting point, some links are presented here:
Low Impact Development is a new
comprehensive land planning and engineering design approach with a goal of
maintaining and enhancing the pre-development hydrologic regime of urban and
developing watersheds. This type of development protects the quality of
stormwater runoff from impacts of more traditional development. For more
information, use the link to the Low Impact Development Center.