Water is the foundation of life. Local streams and reservoirs are used for drinking water, wildlife habitat, recreation, and a number of ecosystem services. Uncontrolled stormwater often picks up pollutants and contaminants left by chemicals, bacteria, and sediment, and carries them to our waterways, leaving them polluted and unsafe for both humans and wildlife. The Federal Clean Water Act and Pennsylvania's Municipal Separate Storm Sewer (MS4) Program serve to reduce the quantity of pollutants that stormwater transfers to our waterways. While MS4 permits regulate over 1,000 jurisdictions in Pennsylvania, everyone's help is needed to keep our waterbodies safe and clean. For more information about state and federal water programs and tips for protecting our waterbodies, please see the resources below.
Greener Car Maintenance
- Car Washes and Your Stream
- Cars for Clean Streams
- Good Practices for Auto Maintenance
- Keep Car Washing from Hurting our Streams
Landscaping and Lawn Maintenance
- Alternatives to Pesticides
- Can Meadows be Greener than Grass
- Fertilize Your Lawn the Easy Way
- Green Guide to Property Maintenance
- Green Guide to Clean Water for Residents
- Proper Mulching for Healthy Trees
- Raising your Mower for Cleaner Water
- The Right Tree in the Right Place
Pollution Reduction and Flood Mitigation
Property Maintenance
Streamside Buffers