What is Storm Water?

Storm water is water from rain or melting snow. It flows from rooftops, over paved streets, sidewalks and parking lots, across bare soil, and through lawns and storm drains. As it flows, runoff collects and transports soil, pet waste, salt, pesticides, fertilizer, oil and grease, litter and other pollutants. This water drains directly into our lake.  Polluted storm water runoff can have many adverse effects on plants, fish, animals, and people.

The public plays an active role in helping keep storm water clean. The best way to protect our water sources through storm water management is to limit what enters storm sewers and waterways. Anything that enters a storm sewer system is discharged untreated into the lake we use for swimming, fishing, and boating. The primary method to control storm water quality is through the use of best management practices (BMP).

Make a Positive Impact

Things you can do to make a positive impact.

What is storm water? Storm water is rainwater and snowmelt that drains into storm drains found at street corners or the low points on the sides of city streets. Unlike the water we use inside our homes, storm water receives NO treatment before it enters a body of water like a lake, creek, or river. Why should I care what goes down the storm drain? Everyone should be concerned with what goes down their storm drain because it ends up in our lake, where residents swim, boat, and fish. Pollution of storm water can and does result in the death of fish and impacts the quality and the depth of our lake. What is a watershed? A watershed is an area of land which drains to the same place, such as a river, lake, or stream. Water that is not absorbed by the land after rainfall or a snow event runs along the surface of the land and this water is known as storm water runoff.

• Simple Lawn Care Procedures Help prevent storm water pollution with simple lawn care steps. Try to keep grass clippings and leaves out of the streets and storm drains. Start with raking and bagging up excess grass clippings and leaves. Do not over fertilize your lawn and avoid fertilizing or mowing your lawn before a forecasted rain to prevent chemicals from running off into the storm drains.
• Pick up Trash and Recycle Improve our environment by picking up any trash you find and recycling everything you can. Garbage is a common pollutant found in our lake which can easily be prevented. Remember to throw away your own trash and do not litter!
• Build a Rain Barrel and experience numerous benefits from saving rain water. Rain barrels are a system that collects and stores rainwater from your roof that would otherwise be lost to runoff and diverted to storm drains and waterways. They reduce the amount of runoff we have and the number of pollutants that enter our waterways. Rain barrels can be used as a source of water for lawn and gardening activities, in return lowering your monthly water bill.

Storm Drains

Everyone should be concerned with what goes down their storm drain because it ends up in our lake, where residents swim, boat, and fish. Pollution of storm water can and does result in the death of fish and impacts the quality and the depth of our lake.

Picking up dog poop may be unpleasant but try drinking it!!!
Pet waste washes into our storm drains and pollutes our lakes. Please pick up after your pet at home and in the parks. The City provides pet waste stations in all our parks, and we encourage you to use them. Protect water quality by learning more and doing more at www.iowastormwater.org

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Storm Water Complaint Form

• Form
• Managing Storm Water In Iowa Communities – Implementing New Requirements

Annual Reports

• 2016 Annual Report – Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (without Supplemental Documents)
• 2015 Annual Report – Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (without Supplemental Documents)
• 2014 Annual Report – Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (without Supplemental Documents)
• 2013 Annual Report – Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (without Supplemental Documents)