Don’t Dump Waste Down Stormwater Drains

 

Stormwater  drain stencils were painted by the Governor's Scholars attending

Centre College's summer program. This drain, at the corner of Lexington Avenue and

Fourth Street in Danville, empties into Clark's Run, a tributary of Herrington Lake.

 

   Did you know that stormwater drains along curbs or parking lots feed directly into nearby streams and lakes?  So when waste is dumped into these drains, it goes right into the stream or lake and not to the local wastewater treatment plant.

   The purpose of stormwater drains is to collect stormwater runoff and prevent flooding.  There is a common misconception that the underground pipes collecting the stormwater carry it to the local wastewater treatment plant. But since this isn't the case, be sure that you prevent soil or silt, grass clippings and leaves, motor oil, and lawncare products from entering the stormwater drain.

   Siltation is the number one pollutant of Kentucky’s waterways. For this reason, Danville's stormwater permit requires that construction site operators protect these stormwater inlets from soil erosion. The rest of us should also be careful to keep pollutants out of these drains. 

 

contributed by CREEC (Clark's Run Environmental and Educational Corporation)

website  www.clarksrun.org