How do I benefit from improving Water Quality and Stormwater Pollution?

How do I benefit from improving Water Quality and Stormwater Pollution?

Your health, your wallet and your future generations! In addition to stream clean-ups and other opportunities in Rockland County for the family to enjoy, incorporating green infrastructure practices such as a water-wise landscape and/or rain gardens on your lawn will help prevent standing water and soak-up excess nutrients and pollutants from storm water, keeping them from reaching local waters, ground water, and ultimately our drinking sources. Installing a rain barrel will help to keep your foundation dry, prevent pollution to your waterways and drinking water, as well as provide hundreds of gallons of free water each year for your lawn and garden.

A water-wise landscape also means less watering and maintenance on your part once established.

Keeping grass clippings and leaves out of the catch basins will prevent local flooding to your property, as well as preventing excess nutrients from entering the receiving water body and causing algae (“scum”) growth. It is ILLEGAL to improperly fertilize in Rockland County. Fertilizer is also a nutrient (it ‘promotes growth’ on the lawn and will do the same for hungry algae!) and must be applied at the correct rate and time. See our Fact-Sheets and our video on Leave the Leaves for information on using grass clippings to directly benefit your lawn (or see your municipality’s website
for the leaf and yard waste collection schedules). Natural fertilizer will prevent excess nutrients from entering our waterways, reducing flood risks and Nutrient Pollution.

Also see our Fact-Sheet page for legally fertilizing in Rockland County, learning how your home activities impacts your water quality, installing water-wise landscapes and rain gardens, and more, as well as EPA’s Water-Smart Landscapes .

Remember- use Water Sense around the house- every leak counts! Proper disposal of grease and wipes will prevent Sanitary Sewer Overflows in your local vicinity, or to your house or business.

There are many great reasons and resources available to Soak up the Rain!

mower/fertilizer leave the leaves