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Stormwater Management Program
What can residents do to prevent stormwater pollution?
We can all work together to reduce and prevent stormwater pollution. Some activities are federal government responsibilities, such as ensuring that federal lands are properly managed to reduce soil erosion. Some are state responsibilities, for example, developing rules to govern certain activities to protect water bodies. Others are best handled by your community, such as by developing zoning or erosion control ordinances. Individual residents can also play an important role by changing certain everyday habits. For example:
- Please don’t feed the storm drain! Do not dispose of used cooking oil and grease by dumping it into the storm drain.
- Select native and adapted plants for your landscape. These plants require less water, fertilizer, and pesticides to thrive, making your yard a Texas SmartScape.
- Apply lawn and garden chemicals sparingly and according to directions. Never apply lawn chemicals before a rain event.
- Keep litter, pet wastes, leaves, grass clippings and debris out of street gutters and storm drains. Never blow grass clippings into the storm drain. Outlets blocked by excessive debris, such as leaves and grass clippings, could lead to street flooding. Compost or mulch lawn debris instead.
- Dispose of used motor oil, antifreeze, paints, and other household chemicals properly, not in storm drains. The City of DeSoto participates in the Dallas County Household Hazardous Waste Program and DeSoto residents are encouraged to contact the Home Chemical Collection Center at 214.553.1765 for information on proper disposal of household chemicals.
- Deck the Halls, not the creeks. By recycling litter and disposing of trash properly, you can help keep it out of the waterways.
- Clean up spilled brake fluid, oil, grease and antifreeze. Do not hose them into the street where they go down storm drains and can eventually reach local streams and lakes.
- Control soil erosion on your property. Plant ground cover and stabilize erosion-prone areas. This can be done by using mulch for soil stabilization.
- Wash your car at a commercial car wash facility. Washing cars on driveways or streets will result in the cleaning products flowing directly into the storm drain and into a nearby stream, lake, or river. Washing your car on your lawn allows the soil to remove some of the pollutants. Using a commercial car wash facility will ensure that the water and pollutants go to a water treatment facility before entering local water bodies.
- Learn to recognize what types of discharges to the storm drain system are allowed and not allowed. Report any signs of illegal discharge to your municipal stormwater management service by calling 972.230.9600.