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Clean Water Starts with Me!! City of Farmington Community Works Department Stormwater Management 805 Municipal Drive Farmington, NM 87401 Phone: (505) 599-1062 Fax: (505) 599-1299 www.fmtn.org/stormwatermanagement It's the law: Keeping our waterways and lands clean is not only considerate to your fellow community members, it is the law. The Clean Water Act, NPDES program, New Mexi- co Water Quality Act (NMSA 74-6), New Mexico Water Quality Standards (20.6.4 NMAC), COF City Ordinances 6-4-1 9a; 23-1; and 6-4-1 9b, and any other Federal, State or Local decree prohibiting the polluting of our land, air, and water. WHAT IS STORMWATER? Stormwater Runoff occurs when precipitation from rain or snowmelt flows over the ground without being absorbed by soils or vegetation. As runoff flows over driveways, lawns, and sidewalks, it picks up debris, chemicals, dirt, and other pollu- tants. Oftentimes runoff is directed into a storm sewer system by means of curb and gutter or drainage ditch. Storm Sewer Systems are comprised of pipes dedicated to transporting runoff to lakes, streams, rivers, wetlands, or other water bodies, with little or no treatment to remove pollutants. Stormwater Management attempts to reduce the amount of runoff created and the amount of contaminates that runoff can come into contact with, so that runoff can be transported safely through storm sewer systems and other flow paths and into receiving water bodies. REPORTING CONTAMINATION Please help us keep the waterways through our City clean! If you observe illegal dumping or con- taminated water coming from one of our storm drains or flowing within our waterways, please write down the location, date, time, description of the suspects and their license plate number and contact Code Compliance at (505) 599-1070 or report a concern at http://www.fmtn.org/reportaconcern to report the incident. SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM VS STORM SEWER SYTEMS Sanitary sewer systems and storm sewer systems are two very different systems. The water that goes down a sink or toilet flows into the sanitary sewer system and into a wastewater treatment plant where it is treated and filtered. Stormwater that flows down driveways and streets into a storm inlet discharges, untreated directly into arroyos, washes, lakes, rivers or streams. ---PAGE BREAK--- Did You Know? The Environmental Protection Agency considers stormwater pollution the nation’s greatest threat to clean water. Your daily activities such as driving a car, lawn maintenance, and waste disposal can be significant sources of stormwater pollution if not disposed properly. The City of Farmington maintains approximately 250 miles of roads that contain storm sewer systems connecting to over 300 outfall pipes, which discharge stormwater, untreated, to various waterways. CHEMICALS, GARBAGE AND OTHER DEBRIS CAN BE TRANSPORTED TO OUR RIVERS THROUGH STORMWATER RUNOFF? Anything dumped or dropped on the ground or in the gutter can end up in our rivers! Household hazardous wastes like insecticides, pesticides, paint solvents and auto fluids can poison aquatic life. Bacteria and pathogens from pets/ wildlife and leaking septic systems can create health hazards that result in beach closures and river activity restrictions. Excess nutrients from lawn fertilizers can pro- mote harmful algal blooms that lower oxygen levels in the water when they decompose. Fish and other aquatic organisms cannot live without sufficient oxygen levels. Litter like plastic bags, bottles and cigarette butts are and can harm, or even kill aquatic life. Sediment can cloud water and stress aquatic plants and animals. Excess sediment can also destroy aquatic habitats. HOW CAN I HELP? LAWN CARE Use Pesticides and fertilizers carefully and only per the recommended amounts. Avoid application before rain. Select native plants and grasses that are drought and pest resistant. Sweep up yard debris. Compost or recycle waste when possible. HOME REPAIR/IMPROVEMENTS Sweep up and properly dispose of construc- tion debris such as concrete and mortar. Store substances properly to avoid leaks and spills. Clean paint brushes in a sink, not outdoors. Properly dispose of excess paints through a household hazardous waste collection pro- gram. Reduce the amount of paved area and in- crease vegetated area in your yard. Pool Maintenance Pool water can be considered a storm- water pollutant if it has chemicals, debris, or comes from a salt pool. Pool discharg- es shall be free of chlorine or other pollu- tants, with a pH between 6 and 9. Salt pools should never be discharged to a storm inlet, open ditch, arroyo/wash, or any other surface water. Please check with your municipality for the proper method of disposing of pool water before discharg- ing. Auto Care Use a commercial car wash or wash your car on a lawn or other unpaved surface to mini- mize the amount of dirty and soapy water flowing down the storm drain. Clean up spilled fluids with absorbent mate- rial like cat litter or sand. Don't rinse the spills into nearby storm drains. Recycle used oil and other fluids at proper service stations. Don't dump these chemi- cals down the storm drain or dispose of them in your trash. Pet Care Pick up the waste and dispose of it properly when walking your pet (trash bin or toilet). Flushing pet waste or placing it in a bag and into your trash bin are the best methods of dis- posal. NEVER leave pet waste on the ground or throw it into an arroyo or drainage ditch. Pet waste bag dispensers and trash bins are located in various locations throughout the City of Farmington Parks and recreational areas.