What can I do to help?

Polluted stormwater may have adverse effects such as algae blooms, which may kill fish and other aquatic fauna, habitat destruction due to extensive sedimentation, contaimination of drinking water sources, or beach closures due to elevated concentrations of bacteria. Here are some ways you can help prevent stormwater pollution:

Lawn and Garden Maintenance

  • Use Fertilizers & Pesticides sparingly
  • Select native plants & grasses that are drought tolerant and pest resistant
  • Compost or recycle Yard Waste
  • Cover piles of dirt and mulch to prevent them from washing into drains
  • Sweep up yard debris, rather than hosing down areas
  • Plant grass or vegetation where soil is exposed
  • Lawn and Garden Tips to Help Curb Stormwater Pollution 

Pet Waste Management

Swimming pool & Spa care

  • ​Drain your pool only when the test kit does not detect chlorine levels
  • Whenever possible, drain your pool or spa into the sanitary sewer system
  • Properly store pool and spa chemicals to prevent leaks and spills, preferably in covered area

Hazardous Waste & Solvents

  • ​Use hazardous substances (paints, solvents, cleaners) in the smallest amounts possible
  • Store substances properly
  • Clean water based painting supplies over soil
  • Filter and reuse paint thinner
  • Dispose of excess oil-based paints during household hazardous waste collection day at the Minuteman Regional Hazardous Waste Center in Lexington 
  • Harden excess water-based paints & dispose of in regular household trash pick-ups. Paint hardeners can be purchased at many hardware stores

Cigarette Butts & other Trash

  • ​Put your fully extinguished cigarette butts and other liter in garbage bins or other proper receptables
  • If there is no garbage bin handy, hold onto your litter until you find one
  • Pitch in and help clean up littered areas
  • Sweep up & properly dispose of construction debris like concrete and mortar

Septic System Maintenance

  • ​Have your system inspected by a professional every three years
  • Pump your tank as necessary (every 3-5 years)
  • Care for the septic leach field by not driving or parking vehicles on it
  • Plant only grass over and near the leach field to avoid damage from roots
  • Don't dispose of household hazardous waste in sink or toilets
  • What you flush matters
  • Fat Free Sewers

Vehicle Maintenance & Repair

  • ​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, culvert or ditch
  • Check your car, boat, motorcycle, machinery & equipment for leaks and spills
  • Clean up spilled fluids with an absorbent material like kitty liter or sand and dispose of at the household hazardous waste collection facility.  
  • Recycle used oil and other automotive fluids at participating service stations. Don't dump these chemicals down the storm drain, in culverts or ditches, or dispose of them in your trash