What is stormwater?<\/p>\n
![\"stormwater\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ecs_stormwater_house_illustration.jpg\")
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Stormwater is water from rain or melting snow that does\u00a0not soak into the ground. It flows from rooftops, over paved areas, bare soil, and sloped lawns. As it flows, stormwater runoff collects and transports animal waste, litter, salt, pesticides, fertilizers, oil\u00a0& grease, soil and other potential pollutants.<\/p>\n
What’s the problem?<\/p>\n
Rain and snowmelt wash pollutants from streets,\u00a0construction sites, and land into storm sewers and\u00a0ditches. Eventually, these empty\u00a0the\u00a0polluted stormwater directly into streams and rivers\u00a0with no treatment. This is known as stormwater pollution.<\/p>\n
Polluted stormwater degrades our lakes, rivers, wetlands and other waterways. Nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen can cause the overgrowth of algae resulting in oxygen depletion in waterways. Toxic substances from motor vehicles and careless application of pesticides\u00a0and fertilizers threaten water quality and can kill fish and other aquatic life. Bacteria from animal wastes and improper connections to storm sewer systems can make lakes and waterways unsafe for wading, swimming and fish consumption. Eroded soil is a pollutant as well. It\u00a0clouds\u00a0the waterway and interferes with the habitat of fish and\u00a0plant life.<\/p>\n
A sanitary sewer system and a storm sewer system are not the same. Water that goes down a sink or other inside drain flows to either a wastewater treatment plant or to a septic system for treatment. Storm sewer flows are not treated. Water that flows down driveways, streets, and outside areas into a storm sewer or ditch flows directly to nearby creeks, fish and wildlife habitats, downstream recreational areas, and drinking water supplies.<\/p>\n
Public Service Announcements (PSA’s) about preventing stormwater pollution:<\/p>\n
Our Home<\/a><\/p>\n Our Water<\/a><\/p>\n The Good & Bad<\/a><\/p>\n There are many types of pollutants that find their way into storm drains. Some common pollutants found in storm sewers and creeks include:<\/p>\n Animal waste It’s important to remember that any type of surface water runoff, not just rainfall, can run into the storm sewer and collect in the stormwater management system. For example, when you wash your car on the driveway, that water, dirt, and grime ends up in the system. That’s why we need to be careful with what we put into the storm sewers as traces of all this material can end up in the stormwater system and our local waterways. Find out how the Western New York Stormwater Coalition<\/a> is working to prevent stormwater pollution.<\/p>\n What can\u00a0YOU do to prevent stormwater pollution in Western New York?<\/p>\n Click on the images below for a PDF version of each brochure<\/p>\n 1. Remember: Only rain belongs in the drain!<\/p>\n Don’t dump anything down storm drains. Be sure to clear away\u00a0leaves and debris.<\/p>\n 2. Wash your car over your lawn or gravel.<\/p>\n This allows the ground to neutralize the soap and grime\u00a0from your car rather than sending it directly to our creeks and streams.\u00a0Use biodegradable or non-toxic soap that is phosphate-free. You can also take your car to a commercial car wash where\u00a0wastewater is either recycled\u00a0or treated.<\/p>\n 3. Keep your car well-maintained.<\/p>\n Fix any fluid leaks promptly and make sure to clean up any spills.\u00a0If you perform your own automotive maintenance, automotive repair shops\u00a0will accept 5 gallons of used motor oil per resident per day. For more information about the proper disposal of hazardous household\u00a0chemicals, call (716) 858-6800 or visit the Erie County Waste Management and Recycling<\/a> webpage.<\/p>\n 4. Consider disconnecting your downspouts.<\/p>\n You can plant a rain garden<\/a> to absorb stormwater runoff. You can also use\u00a0a rain barrel\u00a0to help\u00a0collect runoff from your roof and gutters to be used on your lawn and garden.<\/p>\n 5. Use lawn or garden chemicals sparingly.<\/p>\n Choose organic alternatives when possible and check the weather forecast to avoid applying them\u00a0before a storm.<\/p>\n 6. Mow\u00a0your lawn less often.<\/p>\n Try to keep your lawn\u00a0at least\u00a03″ in height to minimize weed growth, reduce the need for watering, and decrease the likelihood of pests. Leaving the clippings on the lawn can also help block weeds and retain moisture. Sweep your sidewalks and driveway rather than hosing them down.<\/p>\n 7. Plant native, low maintenance plants and grasses.<\/p>\n They often have longer root systems, which\u00a0reduce the amount of chemicals and water needed.\u00a0Try seeding your lawn with Buffalo Grass (Bouteloua dactyloides) or Northern Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis). For native plant listings,\u00a0try http:\/\/www.wildflower.org\/plants<\/a> or http:\/\/plants.usda.gov\/java<\/a>.<\/p>\n 8. Minimize runoff by not over-watering your lawn and garden.<\/p>\n Keep sprinklers on a timer to avoid pooling water.<\/p>\n 9. Clean up pet waste<\/a>.<\/p>\n Bag up pet waste and dispose of it in the trash to prevent harmful bacteria from washing into local waterways.<\/p>\n 10. Be sure to minimize the amount of ice-melt used.<\/p>\n Do not over-apply salt.\u00a0Choose a more environmentally-friendly alternative\u00a0when possible.<\/p>\n 11. Consider minimizing impervious surfaces around your home.<\/p>\n Use bricks, gravel, cobbles, natural stone, or permeable pavers\u00a0instead of asphalt or concrete when possible.<\/p>\n 12. Make sure storm drain outfalls are not running in dry weather.<\/p>\n A storm sewer system is designed to carry stormwater.\u00a0If it hasn’t rained in 72 hours, it should not be flowing<\/a>.\u00a0Call your municipal stormwater contact<\/a> if it does.<\/p>\n 13. Do not\u00a0drain your pool, spa, or fountain to a storm drain.<\/p>\n Allow chlorine to dissipate for several days.\u00a0Test the water to ensure the residual chlorine is zero\u00a0before slowly draining to a landscaped area.\u00a0You may be able to drain to a sanitary sewer.\u00a0Contact your local municipality for more information.<\/p>\n 14. Keep your septic system well-maintained to prevent leaks.<\/p>\n A leaking septic system can leach harmful bacteria into storm sewer systems and local waterways. It is important to keep your system\u00a0well-maintained<\/a> to prevent costly repairs as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n 15. Walk, bike, or share a ride when possible.<\/p>\n Driving causes particulates to enter our air. This air pollution\u00a0can\u00a0contaminate our rain and end up in\u00a0our streams and lakes.<\/p>\n 16. Properly maintain your neighborhood stormwater pond.<\/p>\n It is designed to capture and treat stormwater runoff. \u00a0Answers to many commonly asked questions can be found in this brochure<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n 17. Install a rain barrel or cistern to capture roof runoff.\u00a0<\/p>\n This helps prevent stormwater from reaching waterways and reduces the potential for pollution.\u00a0There are several environmental benefits associated with rain barrels. By using harvested rainwater for watering lawns, gardens, potted plants and for washing off patio furniture and tools, rain barrels conserve water. From a gardening perspective, the natural nutrients in rain water make it far better than tap water, which has chlorine and fluoride in it. With a rain barrel, gardeners can minimize or eliminate their use of chemical fertilizers.<\/p>\n DEP hosts a\u00a0Rain Barrel Painting Contest<\/a>\u00a0for schools!<\/p>\n For more information, visit the\u00a0Environmental Protection Agency’s Stormwater Program<\/a>\u00a0webpage or the\u00a0New York State Department of Environmental Conservation<\/a>\u00a0stormwater webpage.<\/p>\n Did you hear our radio spots?<\/p>\n If you don’t want it in your water, don’t pass it by! For more information about preventing pet waste and litter from reaching our waterways, check out our\u00a0Pet Waste webpage<\/a>\u00a0or our\u00a0Clean Streets webpage<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"2026 Stormwater Conference & Tradeshow The 2026 Western New York Stormwater Conference and Tradeshow will be held on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":95653,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[136,138,137],"class_list":{"0":"post-95652","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-erie","8":"tag-erie","9":"tag-erie-headlines","10":"tag-erie-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95652","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=95652"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95652\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/95653"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=95652"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=95652"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=95652"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nLitter
\nMotor oil
\nYard clippings
\nFertilizers and pesticides
\nSoapy car wash water
\nEroded sediment from construction projects<\/p>\n![\"household](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ecs_household_guide_cover.png\")
<\/a> ![\"Rain](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ecs_rain_garden_cover.png\")
<\/a> ![\"Pet](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ecs_pet_waste_cover.png\")
<\/a> ![\"Illicit](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ecs_idde_cover.png\")
<\/a> ![\"Septic](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ecs_septic_system_cover.png\")
<\/a> ![\"Retention](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ecs_pond_cover.png\")
<\/a> ![\"DIY](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/rainbarrelbooklet_2020.jpg\")
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