Why is stormwater
management important to our community?
Stormwater management is directly related to our
water quality -and water quality affects
us all. Managing stormwater properly
protects wildlife, maintains a healthy
environment around us and ensures quality
drinking water. |
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Pennsburg Borough operates
Municipal Storm Sewer Systems (MS4). This
underground system of pipes carries rainwater
and snowmelt away from roads and parking lots
and discharges the drainage water into lakes and
rivers. Ideally, this system should
transport mostly clean water. But because
rainwater and snowmelt from streets, lawns,
farms, and construction sites mixes with lawn
fertilizers, pesticides, oil, and other
pollutants, the runoff becomes contaminated.
This contaminated water eventually makes its
way to into the storm sewer system and
ultimately into our rivers, lakes and streams. Stormwater runoff is the most common cause of
water pollution.
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Part of the requirement for the MS4
Permit requires public education.
Storm Drain Markers meet part of
that requirement by educating the
public
about storm water pollution. |
What can you do to help prevent
stormwater pollution?
SIn
your yard:
-Use fertilizers sparingly.
-Compost your yard waste.
-Do not wash grass clippings or
leaves into the street.
-Vegetate bare spots in your yard.
-Direct downspouts away from paved
surfaces.
-Use least toxic pesticides and
follow labels.
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S
Pick up after your pet.
When it
rains, pet waste left on lawns
can be washed into storm drains
that lead to nearby lakes and
streams. Untreated pet waste can
cause significant water
pollution.
Click here to find out more. |
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SAutomotive
Care:
-Take your car
to the car wash instead of
washing it in the street or driveway.
-Check
your vehicle for drips and oil leaks
regularly and fix them promptly to
prevent
gasoline, oil, brake and
transmission fluids, and anti-freeze from
leaking onto the pavement and washing into our
streams.
A single quart of oil can pollute
250,000 gallons of drinking water!
-Keep
your vehicle tuned to reduce oil
use.
-Use ground cloths or drip pans
under your vehicle if you have leaks
or if you are doing engine work.
-Clean up spills immediately and
properly dispose of materials.
-Collect all used oil in containers
with tight-fitting lids. Old plastic
jugs are excellent for this purpose.
-Recycle used motor oil. Many auto
supply stores, car care centers, and
gas stations will accept used oil or
check
www.wsaemc.org for recycling
locations.
-Do not pour
any
engine fluids down floor drains,
sinks, storm drains or onto the
ground. |
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S
Reuse and recycle paint & paint thinner
Sor take it to a local hazardous waste
S
collection location
Click
here for dates and locations:
S
2011
Hazardous Waste
Collection
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Other Things You Can Do:
-Have your septic tank
pumped regularly.
-Recycle all containers made of glass,
plastic & aluminum.
NEVER DUMP ANYTHING DOWN STORM DRAINS
POLLUTION HOTLINE:
If you see any type of incident that may impact
a storm sewer system, such as an oil spill or
other contaminant that may lead to a storm
drain, please contact the Pennsburg Borough
Office at 215-679-4546, ext. 3, or email us at
pennsburginfo@pennsburg.us.
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