Stormwater Runoff
Stormwater runoff is a leading source of water pollution. Stormwater runoff can harm surface waters such as rivers, lakes, and streams - which in turn cause or contribute to water quality standards being exceeded.
About Runoff
Common pollutants include oil and grease from roadways, pesticides and fertilizers from lawns, sediment from construction sites, and carelessly discarded trash, such as cigarette butts, paper wrappers, and plastic bottles. When the untreated storm water is deposited into nearby waterways through municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) discharges, these pollutants can impair the waterways, thereby discouraging recreational use of the resource, contaminating drinking water supplies, and interfering with the habitat for fish, other aquatic organisms, and wildlife.