Stormdrains are the openings you see along curbs and in streets and parking lots. They carry away rainwater and transport it through the drainage system to nearby ponds and streams. Water and other debris that enter stormdrains do not go to a treatment facility.

How does stormwater get polluted?

As stormwater flows over our lawns, driveways and parking lots, it picks up fertilizers, oil, chemicals, grass clippings, litter, pet waste, and anything else in its path. The stormsewer system then transports these pollutants, now in the water, to local ponds and streams. Anything that goes into a stormdrain eventually ends up in our waters.