Advising Fair Lawn representatives on rainwater management and cleaning

From the Fair Lawn district:

Rainwater management: Together we can keep our water clean

Pollution : We see it on the streets, in the parking lots, on the driveways and on the lawn. It pollutes our lakes and streams and can contaminate our drinking water. Rainwater pollution is one of the greatest threats to clean and abundant water in New Jersey. We can reduce this threat if we all do our part to prevent our rainwater collection system from cleaning up the pollution.

Sometimes we cannot detect possible rainwater contamination when we use or see it. "Pollutants" include fertilizers, oils, pesticides, cleaning agents, household waste and grass clippings. They stay in our gardens or on our streets until it rains a lot when they wash and leak in our sewers and water supply.

We all want clean water, so we have a shared responsibility to keep pollutants out of our rainwater. By controlling how we use or dispose of pollutants, we help keep our water clean and reduce taxpayer costs for cleaning our water.

Fair Lawn has passed various regulations to prevent rainwater pollution. Compliance with these regulations leads to clean water for everyone.

Here are some simple and sensible steps we can all take:

Easy things to do:

Dispose of garden waste properly.
In addition to water pollution, garden waste can block the rainwater sewer system in your neighborhood, which can result in flooding.

Hold solid and buoyant objects, e.g. B. leaves, away from the drain holes.
Look at the rainwater canals near your property and make sure that there are no such objects in the area.

Apply fertilizer only when needed and correctly.
Chemical fertilizers can contaminate drinking water and kill fish, wildlife and plants. Our regulations prohibit the application of fertilizers when the soil is saturated or when a storm is predicted. If fertilizers or pesticides are used improperly, they can be washed and end in storm tunnels that lead directly to water.

Clean up after your pet.
Keep harmful bacteria away from our water by cleaning up pets and properly disposing of animal waste in the garbage or in the toilet.

Try to control the erosion and runoff from surface waters.
Soil erosion can occur if the soil is disturbed or surface water is released. If it erodes, the soil quality deteriorates and the soil can get into the rainwater channels and bodies of water, leading to water pollution. Something as simple as adding mulch or stones can help prevent erosion and runoff.

Reduce, reuse, recycle.
Bags, boxes and containers can have a second life. Reduce the amount of material that ends up in our landfills and also reduce the amount of waste that could end up in our waterways.

And some don't:

Don't break it.
The waste enters our water either through rainwater, wind or in some other way. If we properly dispose of things and collect the garbage, we will all help keep the water clean.

Do not feed wildlife.
Believe it or not, wildlife waste can be an important source of pollution. Feeding wild animals attracts more animals, which leads to more animal waste and harmful bacteria in our channels.

Do not put anything other than rainwater in the rainwater sewer.
Rainwater channels are not equipped to treat toxic substances or contaminants. Sewers and household toilets are there for that. Anything other than rainwater that is discharged or discharged into the rainwater sewerage system can contain contaminants that can contaminate our water. In addition, unnecessary starts can reduce system efficiency.

Thank you for helping keep our water clean by reducing rainwater pollution in Fair Lawn. The measures we are taking now will benefit us, our children, our grandchildren and future generations.

For more information on rainwater issues, see Fair Lawn Engineering or Clean Water NJ .
You can also contact the Department of Environmental Protection New Jersey at the Office of Pollution Control Nonpoint on 609-633-7021.
Visit the United States Environmental Protection Agency website for more information.

One last note ... Attention:

If you suspect a problem, report it.
Do not assume that someone else is aware of a rainwater problem you have identified. If you report a potential problem immediately, you will reduce the time it takes to resolve the problem.

If problems do not arise immediately, send us a service request .

Call the Fair Lawn Police Department by calling 201-796-1400 if you have problems, for example, if you see someone throwing trash into a stream or a sewer in a sewer.

Together we can keep our water clean, for our families now and for future generations. Many thanks

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This press release was prepared by Fair Lawn Borough . The opinions expressed here are those of the author.

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