Download Keeping Pollution Out Of Our Storm Drains Keeps Our Lakes And

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3:10 PM
Residents Can Take An Active
Role To Stop Illegal Dumping
And Prevent Pollution:
Page 1
The City of Omaha Stormwater Program is a comprehensive
program comprised of various elements and activities
designed to reduce stormwater pollution and eliminate
prohibited non-stormwater discharges.
Always dispose of your own litter and trash properly.
Take household hazardous materials like used oil,
anti-freeze, car batteries, paint, and solvents to a
certified hazardous waste collection facility like
Under The Sink (www.underthesink.org).
Pick up after your pets whether at home, at the park,
or out on a walk.
Sweep up your grass clippings and leaves and place
them in yard waste bags or collection cans labeled
YW (for “Yard Waste”).
Environmental Quality Control
www.OmahaStormwater.org
(402) 444-3908
Keeping Pollution
Out Of Our
Storm Drains
Keeps Our
Lakes And
Streams Clean
For more information about proper disposal of
household hazardous waste, please go to:
Do not transport unsecured debris in the back of a
vehicle. Use a tarp or other cover.
www.underthesink.org
(402) 444-SINK (7465)
Organize volunteer clean-ups of roadways and illegal
dumpsites — studies show people are less likely to
litter in clean areas.
Do not pay contractors until they present you with a
landfill receipt showing that your waste was properly
disposed of.
For “No Dumping” discs to mark your
neighborhood storm drains, contact:
www.keepomahabeautiful.org
(402) 444-7774
Mark your neighborhood storm drains with a “No
Dumping” disc as a visual reminder. Call Keep
Omaha Beautiful, Inc. for supplies at 402-444-7774.
All lawn fertilizers and chemicals should be used as
directed. Never apply them just prior to watering or
if rain is expected.
Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality
(877) 253-2603
EPA Region 7
(913) 281-0991
Funded By
Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality
J-55299
www.OmahaStormwater.org
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Let’s Clean Up Our Act
And Put Waste In Its Place
And that means keeping our storm drains free of
debris! We all need to pitch in to help keep pollution
out of storm drains. That’s because storm drains and
roadside ditches lead directly to our lakes and rivers.
Any oil, pet waste, leaves or trash that enters a storm
drain ends up polluting our valuable water
resources. With hundreds of thousands of people
living in the Omaha area, we all need to be aware of
what goes into our storm drains.
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Did you know that many
household products are
dangerous to our kids, pets,
and the environment?
Illegal dumping contaminates ground and surface
water, and can cause flooding by blocking storm
drains, streams, culverts, and drainage basins. There
are health risks, economic costs, and environmental
tolls of illegal dumping that impact all of us. Illegal
dumping and roadside litter are serious problems that
cost our city thousands of dollars annually.
Don’t Dump These
Down A Storm Drain:
Motor Oil
Fuels
Anti-Freeze
Lawn Chemicals
Pet Waste
Litter (Plastic Bottles, Newspapers, etc.)
Cigarette Butts
Leaf Litter/Grass Clippings
Paint and Paint Thinner
Solvents
Our Problem With
Stormwater Runoff
Stormwater runoff occurs when precipitation from rain or
snowmelt flows over the ground and onto impervious
surfaces like roads and sidewalks. Stormwater picks up
debris, chemicals, dirt and other pollutants, and it flows
directly into city storm drains, streams, lakes and
reservoirs. Anything that enters the storm drain system
is discharged untreated into the waterways we use for
fishing, swimming, and for drinking water.
Report Illegal Dumping
Call 402-444-3908 to report the following:
Oil or gas entering a storm drain
Soap suds or discolored water exiting a
storm sewer pipe
Chemicals spilled on the road
Sediment entering a stream from an
unknown source
Illegal dumping in a storm drain
Illegal dumping in ditches, creeks or lakes
For more information about pollution prevention, go to www.OmahaStormwater.org