Wet Weather Controls

Stormwater Discharges From Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s)
Per a requirement from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) we are posting the following information on this site. For more information regarding the EPA MS4 requirements please refer to this website. Thank you for your cooperation. 
 
Some of the ways to help are as follows:

Got Grass? Mow High!

Make your lawn easier and cheaper to maintain by mowing high – Three Inches is the rule. The roots of your grass grow as deep as the grass grows tall, so taller grass has deeper, healthier roots. Keep your lawn 3” high and never cut off more than 1/3 of the blade each time you mow. A healthy lawn tolerates hot, dry weather better – so you won’t need to spend your summer watering and fertilizing. Mow High, Save Time and Money. It’s that easy.

RESOLVE to protect your drinking water!

Antifreeze, carpet cleaners, gasoline, pesticides, oil paints, solvents, used motor oil…these items should never be put down the drain in your house or in the street where they can wash into catch basins. Improper disposal allows these items to seep into our groundwater and rivers. So, the next time you are house cleaning or on the move, do the right thing. Call the Allegheny County Health Department Water Pollution Control Division at 412-578-8040 to find out how to dispose of these items safely.

Rake it or Leave it

Rake It

Follow your community guidelines for yard waste disposal whether it be to rake it to the curb or place it in paper bags for pickup. Never rake leaves or yard waste into storm drains, ditches, creeks, or the river. Decaying leaves and grass use up the water’s oxygen harming aquatic inhabitants.

Leave It

Mulch leaves or grass clippings with the lawn mower. Leaves and grass clippings are the best fertilizer for your lawn.

Rake it AND Leave it

Rake yard waste into a compost pile for a nutrient rich fertilizer to use on your garden or flower bed.

Pet Waste Hazard

When your pets leave those little surprises, rain washes all that pet waste and bacteria into our storm inlets which drain into our creeks, streams, and rivers. This pollutes our waterways. So, what should you do? Dispose of it properly – in the toilet or bag-it and trash-it. Then that little surprise gets treated like it should.

Keep Your Feed on the Grass

You fertilize the lawn. Then it rains. The rain washes the fertilizer into the storm drain which leads to creeks, streams, and rivers. This causes algae to grow, which uses oxygen that fish need to survive. Some fertilizers also contain weed killer which poisons our water when it runs off. So please if you fertilize, follow directions, and use sparingly.