How many of you own waterfront property? We ALL do! ( Show aerial photo of storm sewers connected to rivers.
) Do you know your watershed address? ( Show watershed map .)
Rochester lies within the Zumbro River Watershed – an area that covers 6 counties. In
Rochester, we have 8 streams that flow to the South Fork of the Zumbro River, each forming their own sub-watershed. We get about 33 inches of rain and 44 inches of snow each year.
When that moisture falls on impervious surfaces – like houses, parking lots, and streets – it travels across these hard surfaces and collects anything its path. Unless the storm water is directed to a storm water pond or a raingarden, it is carried directly into our lakes, streams, and rivers without treatment. Many land uses, like urban development, are resulting in “impaired waters” listings by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency because those streams and lakes no longer meet Minnesota’s water quality standards. ( Show impaired waters inventory map ).
I have perfected a tasty new cocktail that I want to make for you today. It’s called a “Storm
Water Runoff” drink. I’ll tell you a story about my neighbors, the Smiths, while I mix it up.
 Water
Water is the key ingredient of this drink and a necessary ingredient for all life.
 Fertilizer/pesticides
Mrs. Smith wants to have the greenest lawn on the block, so he bought a brand of fertilizer with lots of phosphorus (show the N-P-K label) and added LOTS of it to his lawn. He forgot to check the forecast, because that night it rained and rained…where did the fertilizer go?
 Oil (molasses)
Mr. Smith is a do-it-yourself guy and he likes to tinker with his car. He thought he would change his oil, and some of it ended up dripping on his driveway. No big deal – until that thunderstorm rolled in.
 Litter
Teenager Susie Smith loves candy and keeps it in her car so his folks won’t yell at her for eating it. So on her way home from school, s he’ll toss the “evidence” out her car window.
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 Dog Poop (milk duds)
The Smiths have a dog and enjoy taking Fido for a walk to the neighborhood park so Fido can poop there instead of on their lawn. They often forget to bring a plastic bag to pick up after him.
 Grass Clippings and Leaves
Mrs. Smith loves tending her yard. But she hates raking up clippings and leaves, so she gets out her leaf blower and sends them into the storm drain by her curb – out of sight, out of mind!
 Dirt
In addition, Mrs. Smith is adding a new garden plot in her yard. She had a load of compost delivered to her driveway, but only spread half of it on her garden before the rain came in. She quickly ducked inside the house, leaving her exposed compost pile to wash into the street.
 Soap
Johnny Smith loves keeping his shiny new car sparkling clean and washes it in his driveway every chance he gets. Where does that soap go when he hoses it off his car?
 Salt
I always enjoy a little salt on the rim of my cocktails, which makes me think about how much the Smith’s worry about someone falling on their property and suing them. So they apply lots and lots of salt to their driveway, sidewalks, and front porch anytime the snow flies.
Let me just mix up this mocktail. Mmmmmm! How much would you pay for this drink? We ALL pay the price for polluted storm water runoff. Each month your utility bill includes a charge that is used for many storm water management activities: constructing storm water ponds to treat storm water; laying pipes to convey the extra water created by more impervious surfaces; inspecting, maintaining and repairing storm water infrastructure; responding to illicit discharges…the list goes on.
You can help keep our water clean and control the cost of storm water management. Just follow these good housekeeping tips at home and at work. ( Discuss each item while putting the drink ingredients away .)
 Fertilizer/pesticides
You only need to use fertilizer with phosphorus is with a lawn in its 1 st year or if soil tests show a phosphorus deficiency. Otherwise, use phosphorus FREE fertilizer, follow label directions for when and how much to apply, and never apply before a rain. This will help decrease algae blooms in water and improve overall water quality.
 Oil
Keep your car in good condition – fix leaks! Place cardboard under your oil pan when changing oil to catch drips. Dispose of oils and other hazards properly –
NEVER dump oil or any material down the storm drain. Keep kitty litter or rags nearby to absorb spills.
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 Litter
Easy – don’t litter! Place your garbage in bags and tie them off before putting them in your garbage bin. Cover your truck beds when hauling materials. Pick litter up when you see it and tell others not to litter.
 Dog Poop
Be a responsible pet owner …clean up after your pups and dispose of their poop in your trash.
 Grass Clippings and Leaves
Clean streets mean clean streams. Keep grass clippings and leaves off hard surfaces and out of the street. Mulch them, compost them, or take them to the
Olmsted County Compost Site.
 Dirt
Ever notice how river are brown after a heavy rain? If soil leaves your lawn, it will find the river. Keep a vegetated area around your garden, cover dirt piles with a tarp or mulch, seed bare areas right away.
 Soap
Use a commercial car wash where the soapy water goes into the sanitary sewer and to the wastewater treatment plant for processing. Otherwise, wash your car on the lawn using a phosphorus-free, biodegradable soap.
 Salt
Salt your meals, not our rivers and lakes. Shovel first and, if you still need traction, apply some sand that can be swept up in the spring and reused. If you need salt to melt ice, choose the right product for the conditions and apply it evenly using a drop spreader. Even in the worst conditions, 3 pounds (about 3 cups) is the right amount for a 1,000 square-foot area.
In Rochester, the bedrock under our feet accepts surface water to become groundwater. Don’t let our drinking water supply become a “Storm Water Runoff Mocktail”. Remember, we all have water front property.
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