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City of Brewer
Stormwater Community Hotline
In 2003 the Maine Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) issued the City of Brewer a permit to discharge
stormwater to the waters of Maine. One of the requirements of the permit
is to create a Community Hotline which will allow concerned citizen to
contact the appropriate City employees when they see water quality
problems or witness someone polluting the waters of Maine.
The City’s Environmental Department employees
cannot monitor all the waters and storm drain systems in Brewer so we
must rely on the public to inform us of water polluters. If any Brewer
resident or business owner witnesses anyone polluting the stormwater by
dumping hazardous materials into catch basins or the waters of Brewer
contact either
 Environmental Services Director Kenneth W. Locke
at 478-0516 and
klocke@brewerme.org or
Collections Systems Supervisor Tracy Drew
at 852- 9457 and
tdrew@brewerme.org.
Additionally, if you see anything suspicious or
something in the water that looks like it may be pollution contact us as
well and we will investigate.
Household
hazardous wastes also contribute to polluted stormwater. When people
accidentally or purposefully dump oil, old paint, or cleaners down the
storm drain, it's as if they have dumped these substances directly into
their local water body. These chemicals poison aquatic life.
Litter, like
plastic bags, paper, and cigarette butts can injure, suffocate, and
disable wildlife like birds, turtles, and fish. Even your grass
clippings and leaves can impact water bodies as they are swept into
gutters or ditches and washed away by stormwater. When a normal amount
of organic matter (grass and leaves, for instance) naturally falls into
a lake, there is little impact. But when too much organic matter flows
into a lake, it uses a large amount of oxygen from the water as it
decomposes. Since this decreases the amount of oxygen in the water,
everything suffers that lives in the lake — from the invertebrate to the
fish.
Be sure to repair
drips in leaky vehicles. Stormwater that washes underneath these cars
will carry the oil and gasoline away. Also, wash your car in your yard,
so that the water (and the cleaners, oils, and dirt) infiltrates into
the ground. Try to dispose of used oil, antifreeze, etc. at recycling
centers or during a Household Hazardous Waste days.
Also, be sure to pick up your pet waste. In many areas, it's often the
law, and it's a good pet owner's responsibility.
Plant a buffer.
Buffers are grassy swales and vegetated strips that act as the last line
of defense against polluted stormwater. They can be manicured (flower
beds or vegetable gardens) or natural areas (brushy, overgrown areas).
They serve as a filter, preventing many of the pollutants from reaching
the water bodies they surround. They provide natural places for the rain
water to collect and soak in. Rain from roof tops and paved areas can be
diverted into buffers.
If you are going
to use pesticides or herbicides on your lawn or garden, try the organic
kind. Which ever type you use, be sure to read the directions carefully
and do not over apply. Also, compost your lawn waste (grass clippings
and leaves) for the reasons we mentioned earlier.
Storm drains are
not connected to the sanitary sewer system, and do not get treated. What
ever goes in those drains goes directly to your local water bodies.
http://www.thinkbluemaine.org/article.stm |
