Do your part to prevent stormwater pollution

What is stormwater?

Stormwater is the water that comes from rain, sleet, or melting snow. When stormwater lands on hard surfaces such as rooftops, paved streets, highways, parking lots, and other areas where it cannot soak into the ground, it becomes stormwater runoff. The runoff flows into the storm drainage system or nearest body of water without treatment. The more impervious (hard) surfaces there are, the more runoff there is and the faster it moves. 

What is surface water?

Although sometimes used interchangeably, stormwater and surface water are two different things. Surface water is water that is naturally found on the earth’s surface, such as oceans, rivers, lakes, streams, wetlands, and ponds. Surface waters provide habitat for fish and wildlife and can be affected by polluted stormwater runoff.

What is stormwater pollution?

Stormwater pollution is anything in stormwater that makes it unclean. This can include contaminants like soil, pesticides and fertilizers, pet waste, vehicle fluids, paint, litter, oil, grass clippings, tree leaves, and bacteria. 

Why does stormwater pollution matter? 

When it rains, water flows over the hard surfaces that it can’t soak into. This flowing water picks up whatever it touches along the way, including the pollution sources mentioned above, and travels straight to the nearest storm drain. From there, the polluted stormwater runoff travels through the storm drainage system pipes and empties directly into the nearest wetland, pond, stream, lake, or river.

Is Bothell's public stormwater treated?

Unlike a sewage system, Bothell's public storm drainage system does not lead to a treatment facility to be cleaned before being discharged. This means that whatever flows into a storm drain — including contaminants like pet waste, car wash runoff, fertilizers, and pesticides — travels through the system and empties into the nearest body of water untreated.

You have the power to keep water clean! 

By making small changes in your daily habits, you can have a big impact on the health of your pets, children, and environment. It's up to each of us to help make Puget Sound — and all of its inhabitants — healthier. 

About Puget Sound

Learn more about Puget Sound and why it's so important for us to take good care of it.