What Can You Do To Prevent Stormwater Pollution?

Carolina Clear strives to meet the needs of all audiences.  In doing so, it is important to understand that different audiences have different needs.  The information below is organized by audience, though many of these activities can be a consideration in all of our daily lives.  After all, stormwater pollution is PEOPLE POLLUTION!

Homeowners

As a homeowner, you have the opportunity to be responsible for your property's environmental impact.  If you live along a stream or lake, you have an even greater responsiblity to protect water this water resource for everyone downstream of you.  Click here for more information on how homeowners can prevent stormwater pollution.

Homeowner and Pond Owner Associations

Homeowners who live along ponds and other waterways have a greater responsibility to live "river-friendly" since these properties have an immediate connection with surface waters, and the practices on these properties affect everyone enjoying the water downstream.  Click here for more information on how owner associations can prevent stormwater pollution.

Technical and Professional Audiences

Click here for more information on how technical and professional audiences can prevent stormwater pollution.

Decision-Makers

It is critically important that decision-makers recognize that the quality of water resources is a reflection of land use decisions.  After all, different land uses will introduce different pollutants in stormwater.  Careful land use planning can be used to curb the various pollutants that are related to stormwater - harmful bacteria, heavy metals, motor oil, fertilizers and pesticides, nutrients, debris, and sediment.  Click here for more information on how decision-makers can prevent stormwater pollution.

Something Nearly Everyone Can Do: Rain Gardens

A rain garden is an appealing landscape feature that can easily be installed to manage stormwater and protect the quality of our streams, lakes, wetlands, and oceans. A rain garden typically receives runoff water from roofs and other impervious (hard) surfaces such as driveways and sidewalks. The rain garden holds water on the landscape so that it can infiltrate (drain) into the ground and be taken up by plants instead of flowing into a street and down a storm drain or drainage ditch. It’s also a great way to conserve irrigation water!  Click here for more information on rain gardens.

Page maintained by: Katie Giacalone, kgiacal@clemson.edu