North Kansas City, MO
Home MenuStormwater
Stormwater is precipitation caused by rain, snow, or ice that flows across, instead of seeping into, the ground. As water lands on impervious surfaces like roadways and rooftops it travels downhill though gutters, roadways, yards, and curbs until it is collected in underground pipes and eventually outfalls into the Missouri River.
As stormwater runoff flows through urban areas, it picks up garbage, debris, sediment, chemicals, and other pollutants. If untreated, these pollutants enter our natural waterways. Some of the most significant pollutants are oil and grease from motor vehicles, fertilizers and pesticides, bacteria from animal and human waste, litter, and trash. These pollutants affect drinking water quality, wildlife, and natural vegetation.
There are several simple actions residents and businesses can take to help keep our waterways clean:
- Never pour fat, oil, or grease down your sink. Collect it in a jar and discard the jar when full.
- Never pour household chemicals down the sink, into the toilet, or down a stormwater drain.
- Never flush medication down the toilet.
- Avoid flushing excess paper goods.
- Use your garbage disposal sparingly. Compost your food waste.
- Use phosphate-free soaps and detergents.
- Use fertilizers and pesticides as little as possible.
- Pick up pet waste from your yard. Carry disposable bags while walking your dog to pick up and dispose of waste properly.
- Mulch or compost yard waste.
- Never discard trash or yard waste down storm drains or in the street.
- Report suspected illicit discharge into the storm sewer to the Public Works Department (Automotive fluids, Landscape waste, Solvents, Trash, etc.).