What's Wrong with Stormwater Runoff?

Stormwater is pure rainwater plus anything the rain carries along with it. In urban areas, rain that falls on the roof of your house, or collects on paved areas such as driveways and roads, is carried away through a system of pipes or ditches. The stormwater flows directly from streets and gutters into our rivers, lakes and coastal waters.

When polluted stormwater reaches our waterways, it has many long-lasting, negative effects on aquatic plant and animal life. This pollution also impacts other wildlife that use the water or eat the contaminated seafood, including humans.

There are three main types of stormwater pollution:

• Litter - such as cigarette butts, cans, paper or plastic bags
• Chemical pollution - such as detergents, oil or fertilizers
• Organic pollution - such as leaves, lawn and garden clippings, animal droppings and dirt

This ends up discharging into waterways as sediment, sludge and solids.

Pollution can sometimes be removed by sediment traps and treatment ponds, but the most effective way to reduce this problem is to prevent pollution from entering the stormwater system in the first place. Traps don't catch all of the silt or litter and they don't stop chemical pollutants at all. The best treatment pond removes only fifty to seventy percent of chemical pollutants, leaving the remainder to be discharged into streams and lakes.

Effects of Polluted Stormwater

Whatever you put in ditches, street drains and on your lawn, goes immediately into our recreational waters whenever there is a significant rain. We must all take responsibility for keeping pollutants out of Hernando County's waters.

• View Our Stormwater Pollution Video

Typical Activities that Cause Pollution

Motor Oil dumped in stormwater drain in Spring Hill

• Car repairs: letting used oil or other automotive fluids flow into the street drain
• Car washing: using detergent and allowing it to run down the street drain
• Lawn or garden activities: dumping or blowing grass clippings and leaves into the street where it is washed into ditches and storm drains
• Litter: dropping litter or emptying your car's ashtray where it will be washed into storm drains
• Disposal of paint or household chemicals: the dumping of excess or waste products into the storm drain is a major pollution source
• Hosing the driveway or sidewalk: lets the water carry dirt, soil or other waste into the street drains
• Improper operation and maintenance of septic tanks

Pet Waste

Leaving pet waste on the ground increases public health risks by allowing harmful bacteria and nutrients to be washed into storm drains and local water bodies.

Pet owners are required by Hernando County Ordinance No. 2012-12 to clean up after pets on all public and private property that is not their own.

• View our Pet Waste Video

Construction Activity

Operators of a regulated construction site must obtain coverage under the Construction Generic Permit and implement appropriate pollution prevention techniques to minimize erosion and sedimentation and properly manage stormwater during construction activities.

It is important to keep in mind that the permit required under FDEP's NPDES stormwater program is separate from the Environmental Resource Permit (ERP) required under Part IV, Chapter 373, F.S., a stormwater discharge permit required under Chapter 62-25, F.A.C., or any local government's stormwater discharge permit for construction activity.

For more information on this program, refer to the FDEP website.

• Brochure about the FDEP's Construction Generic Permit requirements
• Construction Site Concrete Washout Brochure

You, and your neighbors, are the cornerstones of the Hernando County recycling program's success.

By recycling, you are eliminating waste that could be entering into our surface water. The more items a household recycles, the less waste we create in our storm sewers. Your participation starts at your local Hernando County recycling center. For more information please visit the Hernando County Solid Waste and Recycling page.

• View our Recycling Video

Fertilizers are used to make our lawns and gardens grow more. Herbicides and pesticides are used to control unwanted or nuisance insects and plants. Excessive or careless use of these materials results in their being washed by stormwater runoff into our lakes, streams and estuaries where they become pollution. When using these materials the best practice is to use the least toxic chemical that will do the job. And always follow the label instructions.

For more information about the proper use of herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers, please visit the Hernando County Cooperative Extension website.

Proper disposal of motor oil and chemicals is also very helpful in keeping unwanted discharges out of our storm sewers.

For a list of collection points where used motor oil and excess or waste chemicals can be dropped off, please visit the Hernando County Solid Waste and Recycling Department Household Hazardous Waste web site.

• View our Restaurant FOG BMP Brochure
• View our Auto Repair Shop BMP Brochure

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Illegal Dumping