MMSD Water Quality Initiative

Greater Milwaukeee Watersheds | What is a Watershed? | Watershed Approach
What you should know | Which Watershed do you live in?

Menomonee Falls You wouldn’t think that a little extra weed killer on your lawn or road salt on your driveway would create much of a problem for our water environment. But consider this: The water that flows off of lawns, driveways, streets, rooftops or other hard surfaces carries with it tons of pesticides, bacteria, oil, and other toxins that trickle into our streams and lakes, leading to extensive pollution of our region’s waters.

Polluted runoff, also known as nonpoint source pollution, is the leading cause of water quality problems in Wisconsin today, according to the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR). According to the DNR, urban and rural polluted runoff currently is degrading or threatening:

An estimated 40 percent of the state’s streams
An estimated 90 percent of the inland lakes
Various Great Lakes harbors and coastal waters
Wetland areas
Groundwater

Polluted runoff not only harms our drinking water, it contributes to habitat destruction, fish kills and a decline in recreational use of our waterways.

Pollutants enter our waters from many known sources such as factories or wastewater treatment plants. This type of pollution is usually monitored and, for the most part, controlled. But pollution also comes from many diverse sources that are hard to control, which leads to polluted runoff. Many of these sources of pollution include excess farm and lawn nutrients, toxins from streets and parking lots, uncontrolled runoff from construction sites and animal wastes.

Here are some tips that will help you be part of the solution to controlling polluted runoff:

Get to know your watershed and find out where the water flows when it leaves your property.
Pick up after your pet.
Limit fertilizer use on lawns and gardens or use natural organic fertilizers.
Use pesticides sparingly.
Take your car to the car wash since they treat the wash water, or wash your car on your lawn where the water flows into the grass.
Don’t sweep, rake or hose yard debris or other materials into the street.
Take advantage of MMSD’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection to properly dispose of paints, fuels, oils, chemicals and other toxic wastes.
Landscape your property to reduce the amount of impervious surface and replace grass with natural plantings to slow water flow.
Participate in conservation groups and encourage them to focus on polluted runoff.
Support legislation that protects your watershed.

The Water Cycle

Where Does Rain Go?

Water Quality Initiative
Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District
July 26, 2008