Keep Stormwater Clean

Contact Information
Gary Fink
Surface Water Engineer
425-430-7392

Help keep the water clean. Stormwater runoff from streets, sidewalks, and driveways flows directly into storm drains and ditches to streams, wetlands, and lakes. This runoff washes pollutants into surface waters, harming water quality and fish habitat.

Everyday activities can help preserve the health and well-being of nearby waters like the Cedar River. Below are some short videos containing tips to help make sure polluted stormwater runoff does not start with you.

Pollution Hotline

  • Report spills that constitute a threat to human health, welfare, or the environment to the Renton Police Department at 425-430-7500.
  • Report drainage and water quality problems that occur in unincorporated King County to King County at 206-477-4811.
  • Report spills to the Department of Ecology 24-hour Emergency Spill Response at 425-649-7000.

Keep Runoff Clean

  • Sweep walks and driveways instead of hosing them down. Soil, grit, and debris from paved surfaces often contain contaminants that pollute water.
  • Wash vehicles on grass or gravel areas to prevent wash water from running into storm drains. Wash water can contain oils and detergents that harm water quality.
  • Maintain vehicles as leaking oil contains toxic metals. Rain picks up these materials and carries them to streams, lakes, and wetlands where they pollute water and harm fish.
  • Recycle used motor oil and dispose of household hazardous waste properly. Call 206-296-4692 or 1-800-RECYCLE for information on nearby recycling or disposal sites. Never dump oil or other hazardous wastes down a storm drain or pour them on the ground.
  • Use safe, non-toxic solutions to manage plant problems. For information about effective ways to manage pests without toxic chemicals, call 425-430-7396.
  • Preserve vegetation as plants filter pollutants from runoff and prevent erosion. Plants near waterways provide habitat for fish and wildlife and shield streams from extreme temperatures.
  • Control animal access to streams as animal waste degrades water quality and livestock can trample and erode stream banks.
  • Build a rain garden that acts like a native forest by collecting, absorbing, and filtering stormwater runoff from rooftops, driveways, patios, and other areas that do not allow water to soak in.

More Ways to Keep Water Clean

  • Buy low phosphate detergents.

  • Put trash in garbage cans.

 

 

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