What can residents do?

Where Do I Fit In?

Once you learn about the problem of stormwater, the idea of making a difference might feel daunting. Fortunately, there are simple steps that anyone can take to control stormwater pollution.

Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) created a Stream Maintenance Booklet for residents to provide information regarding items that can be completed without DEP notification, with DEP notification, and with DEP review and permit.Please click here to view the 10 page document. 

PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Swimming Pool Guidelines

Please click here for the document outlining the guidelines for disposal of residential pool water. It includes the disposal and discharge of water.


Tips For Your Yard

  1. Never dump, wash, or rake anything into the path of a storm drain.
  2. Sweep spilled fertilizers, grass clippings, and soil off sidewalks and driveways and back onto the lawn. Sweep, don’t hose, the driveway.
  3. Water wisely: the lawn is usually happy with 1 inch per week, and that includes rainwater!
  4. Divert rooftop runoff to a rain barrel or onto the lawn rather than a driveway. Collected water can even be used for watering plants.
  5. Reduce the amount of fertilizers and pesticides that you apply to your lawn. You’ll save money, too!

Tips For Your Home

  1. Never put hazardous household wastes (paint, paint thinner, oven cleaners, etc.) down storm drains, indoor drains, or the trash. Visit the Eco-Depot website.
  2. If you have a septic system, have it inspected every year, and have it pumped at least every three to five years.

Tips For Your Vehicle

  1. If you change your own motor oil, recycle the used oil.
  2. Wash your vehicle at a designated car wash or on grass—not in the driveway.

Tips For Your Pet

  1. Scoop your dog’s poop. Then throw it in the trash.
  2. Don’t feed waterfowl.

Two To Live By
Lists can be daunting. So we’ve come up with the following recommendations to use as a rule-of-thumb:
• Keep as much water as possible off of paved surfaces.
• Keep the water that does run off, as clean as possible.