What is stormwater?
Stormwater is rainwater that flows across streets, lawns, and other surfaces instead of soaking into the ground. As it flows, it can pick up pollutants such as sediment, oil, fertilizers, pet waste, trash, and chemicals, which end up in storm drains and make their way untreated into local ditches and canals, eventually reaching the Arroyo Colorado and the Laguna Madre.
Cameron County operates under a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). This program helps reduce pollution, protect public health, and keep our waterways clean.
Why is Stormwater runoff a problem?
Stormwater can pick up debris, chemicals, dirt, and other pollutants and flow into a storm sewer system or directly to a lake, stream, river, wetland, or coastal water. Anything that enters a storm sewer system is discharged untreated into the bodies of water we use for swimming, fishing, and providing drinking water.
What are the effects of Stormwater Pollution in our watersheds?
Stormwater pollution degrades watershed health by increasing erosion, destroying aquatic habitats, and polluting water bodies with pollutants like sediment, nutrients, chemicals, trash, and pathogens.
These pollutants harm aquatic life and human health, cause algal blooms, and increase flooding by altering natural drainage patterns.
What are some common things that affect stormwater?
Over fertilizing your lawn or fertilizing before a storm, not picking up pet waste, blowing grass clippings or leaves into the street, and washing your car in your driveway are all things that impact the stormwater system. The golden rule is: “Only Rain Down the Drain.”
What Can I do if I see illegal dumping into Storm drains, ditches, canals, the Arroyo Colorado or the Laguna Madre?
Do not take it upon yourself to stop them. If possible, take down their license plate number, and call the police department immediately! This type of activity is illegal and will be handled through ticketing, fines and in some cases jail time. Call the Cameron County Stormwater Hotline at 956-247-7695. The Cameron County Stormwater Team will investigate.
STORMWATER HOTLINE
956-247-7695