The Division of Environmental Services help keep our water clean for everyone: people, animals, and plants. The City of Toledo is proud to protect one of our most important resources: Our water.
What is stormwater?
Stormwater is rain or melted snow that flows off places like roofs, streets, and parking lots. These hard surfaces don’t let water soak into the ground, so the water runs off instead. As it flows, it can pick up things like dirt, oil, trash, and chemicals (i.e. pollutants such as sediment, oil, pesticides, and nutrients). This dirty water can end up in our rivers and lakes without being cleaned first, which can hurt animals, plants, and people.
Stormwater can also cause problems like flooding and pollution if we don’t manage it. Sometimes things like sewage or trash are dumped into storm drains, which can make things even worse. This can make fish sick, damage natural habitats, and even contaminate our drinking water and recreational areas.
What is Toledo Doing About It?
The City of Toledo has a Stormwater Management Program to help protect our water. The Environmental Services team works hard to keep our rivers, streams, and lakes clean and safe. They follow state and federal regulations to ensure stormwater is handled properly.
8 goals to keep our water clean:
- Educating about stormwater and why it matters
- Getting the community involved
- Finding and stopping illegal dumping: Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE)
- Controlling water and mud from construction sites
- Ensuring post-construction sites don’t cause extra runoff
- Keeping city properties clean and safe
- Checking businesses and factories
- Testing and monitoring stormwater regularly