Stormwater Utility

Only Rain Down The Drain!

Public Awareness Page

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SAVING OUR LAKES  (From the June, 2001 O-Town News) 

ONLY RAIN DOWN THE DRAIN

Everyone in Florida is familiar with rain especially in the summer when sudden downpours are a common occurrence.  Just one inch of rain is equal to 1 billion 755 million gallons!  Orlando is supposed to get 49 inches each year -- that’s enough to fill Lake Eola over 1,000 times.  Where does it all go?   Some of it soaks into the ground, some evaporates, but most of it becomes runoff.  The runoff  flows into retention ponds, wetlands and lakes carrying  with it leaves, debris, and pollutants.  

Preserving the water quality of City lakes is a principal goal of the Stormwater Division. Everyone can help and play a part in “Saving Our Lakes”.   Here are some friendly tips on what you can do:

• Maintain your automobile and lawn.   If you notice oil, gas or other fluid spots where you park your car, have your car serviced. If you apply fertilizer and chemicals  to your lawn, follow the application instructions found on the label. 

• Store and dispose of household chemicals properly.  Always use them in the way they were intended.   Seal the product to prevent leakage and to preserve it for later use.  Take unwanted hazardous wastes to a proper disposal site.

• Keep storm drains and street gutters clear of debris.  Bag or mulch lawn clippings so the don't blow into the street. 

For more information call the Stormwater Utility Division at 407 246 2370.

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Stormwater Solutions (From the July, 2001 O-Town News)

Did you know that stains on your driveway, which are a result of leaking automotive fluids, could mean trouble for your neighborhood lake?  A rainstorm can easily carry away oil, antifreeze, and brake  fluids.  These wastes will wash into the street and down a storm drain, most likely reaching a nearby lake.  Once in the lake, oil spreads on the surface and eventually settles as a tar-like substance on the bottom.  The oil stresses plants, microbes, shellfish and other organisms by clogging their breathing mechanisms, interfering with temperature regulation, and accumulating in tissue. 

Pans, carpet scraps and matting can catch drips and help contain them.   Routine maintenance on your vehicle can identify potential leaks.  If you change your own oil, be careful to avoid spills and collect waste oil for recycling.   Many auto supply stores now collect used oil.  Oily car parts and fluid containers should be stored where rain and runoff cannot reach them. And please, never dump used oil, antifreeze or gasoline down a storm drain, in a ditch or on the ground.

Washing your car in the driveway can also create contamination problems.  The dirty, soapy runoff can wash down a storm drain, picking up oil and other pollutants as it goes.  Try washing your car on the lawn.  Or better yet, take it to a commercial car wash that sends its dirty water to a wastewater-treatment plant.

Remember, only rain down the drain.

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Enjoying Orlando's Lakes(From the August, 2001 O-Town News)

Only Rain Down The Drain

The City Beautiful has many lakes for residents  to enjoy. Boating, fishing, jet skiing, water skiing, bird watching, picnicking, and sunset strolling are just a few of the options.  Even if you don’t live on a lake, the City has many lakeside parks--and some excellent fishing lakes--that are open to the public. If we want our lakes to stay beautiful for the future we all need to play an active roll.  Here are five things you can do to help:

• Don’t rinse soap into the lake or stormdrains.  Even “biodegradable” products can increase the amount of pollutants, such as nutrients, entering the lake.
• Clean up after your pet and dispose of properly. Animal waste is a contributing factor to nutrient loading, and also a source of bacteria.
• Don’t drain your boat’s dirty bilge water into the lake or stormdrains. Keep your bilges clean and avoid spilling gasoline and oil.
• Get your vehicle serviced. Those leaking fluids will end up in the lake.
• Refrain from feeding aquatic wildlife such as ducks and fish. The bread will not only upset the animals’ natural diet, but will end up fouling the lake.

For more information, call the Stormwater Utility Division at (407) 246-2370.

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Fertilize Wisely (From the September, 2001 O-Town News)

The next time you’re caught in a rainstorm, watch where the water goes.   Does it soak into the ground, form a puddle, or flow off towards a stormdrain? Every lawn, garden and street is within a watershed—the land that water flows through on its way to a lake - and the lawn and garden chemicals people use can have far-reaching effects on a watershed’s environment.    When too much pesticide and fertilizer is applied to lawn, trees, and bushes, some may be washed off by watering or rain.   The remaining excess fertilizer stays unabsorbed in the soil and will continue to be washed off every time it rains.  When these pollutants reach a lake, they can cause its natural environment to deteriorate.

Here are some lake-friendly tips on caring for your lawn or garden:

• If you must use chemical pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers, follow label directions carefully and apply sparingly.  Most labels will recommend not using the product if there is rain predicted. 
• Organic fertilizers and pesticides are generally safer to apply and store than chemicals.  Although they may be preferred, even organic fertilizers and manure can be harmful to a lake if used improperly.
• Choose plants  that are well suited to the soil, sunlight, and moisture conditions of the area to reduce the need for fertilizers, pest control, and watering. 
• Correct mowing height may be the most important factor in the health of your lawn:   mowing height for most lawns should be two to three inches.  A healthy lawn holds rainwater, filters sediments and chemicals, and requires less watering.

For more information, call the Stormwater Utility at 407-246-2370. 

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Orlando Lakes are Neighborhood Natural Gems (From the Fall, 2001 Neighborhood Network)

With over 90 lakes in the City of Orlando, most neighborhoods surround or border on at least one lake. Some neighborhoods even take their names from nearby lakes. Lakes not only enhance property values, they also provide recreational opportunities and wildlife habitat. Because there are over 30 lakeside parks in the Orlando area, you don’t have to live near a lake to enjoy its benefits. 

Neither do you have to live near a lake to pollute one.   Did you know that anytime someone pours or sweeps anything onto Orlando streets, parking lots, or alleyways, it will probably end up in one of the City’s lakes.   The same is true when you use fertilizer and lawn chemicals improperly.  The stormwater runoff caused by our many rains can carry this debris, trash, and chemical pollution into the nearest roadside gutter, stormdrain inlet, or ditch.   In most cases these pollutants discharge into lakes.

You may have noticed that some of the pipes that enter our lakes have screening devices that trap some of this unwanted trash and debris.  While these help to stop most of the larger items, they don’t stop small items and chemicals.  The best pollution prevention and control starts with you, in your neighborhood. Here are three things you can do to help control lake pollution:

1. Keep yard waste, trash and debris out of the streets and gutters.  Bag it and put it out for collection on the proper day.  

2. Ensure all lawn, garden and household chemicals are used in strict accordance with label instructions.

3. Get involved with your favorite lake.  Call the City of Orlando's Stormwater Hotline at 407-246-2370 whenever you see any activity that you believe would harm your lake. 

We care about Orlando’s Lakes.  We only want "rain down the drain."

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