Department Mission Statement: To provide our customers with exceptional waste collection, recycling, and disposal services that protect, preserve and improve our environment, but also the quality of life in our community.

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What is Storm Water?

Storm Water starts as natural water from the sky as rain, snow, or hail. Once that water comes into contact with the ground it is considered runoff water. This is also where the water becomes contaminated with things like dirt, grass clippings, fertilizers, road salts, oils, and any other vehicle fluids that have found their way to streets and sidewalks or chemicals from asphalt roofing and home debris that interact with the water before it makes its way to the storm water sewer system. The drainage system is a series of catch basins and drainage ditches that collect and channel runoff water from the streets, driveways, sidewalks, parking lots, and vegetated land. 

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Why is Storm Water a problem?

The problem with storm water is once it comes into contact with the contaminants described above it carries that debris with it into the storm water sewer system and ends up in the cities streams, ditches, lakes, and ponds. This contaminates our waterways. This means that the publics ability to use water systems, public swimming, drinking, fishing resources, and local aquatic life are all directly influenced by the city's storm water. 

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What does the Storm Water Department do to help?

"Only rain in the drain." This motto keeps to the idea that nothing should be in the drain except for natural water runoff as a way to limit contamination. Please help the city keep the drains free of debris, and if you see public dumping into the city's storm sewers please notify the MS4 storm water manager at (219) 730-6384. 

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