Make your home the solution to stormwater pollution!
Turning Your Home into the Solution
Stormwater is the flow of water that immediately results after it rains and is the greatest threat to clean water. By practicing healthy household habits YOU can prevent pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, pet wastes, detergents, automotive fluids, and grass clippings, and other pollutants from entering the waterways of New York.
When it rains, stormwater flows over driveways, lawns, sidewalks, and parking lots on its way to the nearest entrance into the storm sewer system. Unfortunately, stormwater picks up soil, chemicals, and other pollutants. These pollutants are why the Environmental Protection Agency declares that polluted stormwater runoff is the nation’s greatest threat to clean water.
Cayuga Lake Watershed Network, Lake Friendly Living
As one of the residents who use Cayuga Lake as a primary water source or for recreation, you can make a difference in the water quality of the lake. The Cayuga Lake watershed encompasses approximately 785 square miles where storm water runoff moves into the lake and impacts its water quality. Residential properties generate part of that runoff.
Steps you can take
Practice eco-friendly lawn management
What you put on the land can end up in a stream, wetland, or the lake. Learn about ways to reduce pollutants coming from your lawn.
Lawn Care Best Practices
Disconnect your downspouts
Disconnecting downspouts prevent stormwater from directly entering the road and ditches; which lead to waterbodies. Disconnected downspouts allow water to infiltrate into the ground.
Disconnecting Downspouts (PDF)
Dispersing Water from a Downspout (PDF)
Pick up dog waste
Dog waste can be washed away from lawns and road-sides into streams, wetlands, and the lake. Dog waste is full of bacteria and can be a source of water pollution. See our tips for preventing dog waste from getting into waterbodies.
Pet Waste
Properly dispose of hazardous waste
Tompkins County Solid Waste has Household Hazardous Waste Collection Days. For more information and dates, go to their website at:
https://recycletompkins.org/other-programs-and-services/household-hazardous-waste/
Install a Rain Barrel
Rain barrels capture water from roof downspouts. This water can then be used after rain events to water gardens or lawns.
Rain Barrel Facts (PDF)
Rain Barrels and Cisterns
Plant a rain garden
Rain gardens infiltrate water coming off impermeable surfaces, such as homes and driveways. They can be an attractive addition to your landscape. Learn more here.
Planting a Rain Garden (PDF)
Rain Garden Brochure (PDF)
Rain Garden How-To Manual (PDF)
Plant Riparian Buffer
Riparian buffers are vegetated areas near streams, wetlands, lakes, and other waterbodies that contain a combination of trees, shrubs, and/or grasses. Riparian buffers can deliver a number of benefits including filtering nutrients, pesticides, and animal waste from agricultural land; filtering sediment from stormwater runoff; providing shade, shelter, and food for fish; stabilizing stream banks; providing wildlife habitat and corridors for terrestrial organisms.
Learn more?
Riparian Buffers
Stories from the Streams
How do Trout Grow on Trees
Wetland Restoration
It is estimated that over half of New York’s historic wetlands have been lost to such activities as filling, draining, and dredging. Wetlands provide a host of benefits to water quality including nutrient and runoff retention as well as provide important wildlife habitat.
Tompkins County Soil and Water Conservation District along with the Upper Susquehanna Coalition Wetland Team have worked with landowners across Tompkins County to restore wetlands.
