Resilient Clearwater: Stormwater

• Use proper yard care and greenscaping techniques to reduce the need for fertilizers and pesticides.
• Use fertilizers sparingly and avoid fertilizing before a rainstorm. Follow Pinellas County’s fertilizer ban from June 1 to Sept. 30 each year.
• Consider building a rain garden to minimize stormwater runoff and help filter pollutants naturally.
• Keep driveways, patios and street gutters free of leaves and debris so they don’t wash into storm drains during rainstorms.
• Never blow or dispose of leaves and mulch into storm drains. Grass clippings must be contained, composted or properly disposed of and must not be piled 50 feet from a stream or near storm drains.
• Pick up pet waste even in your own yard. It can be a major source of bacteria and excess nutrients that can cause algae blooms, like Red Tide, in local waterways.
• Take your expired or unused medications to a drug-take-back event or throw them away. Do not flush them down the toilet.
• Prevent soapy and oily water from entering storm drains when washing your car at home. Use soap sparingly and try to wash on a grassy or gravel area.
• Never pour cooking fats, oils or grease down the drain. Drop them off at the Clearwater Solid Waste Complex, 1700 N. Hercules Ave., for repurposing. Prevent chemicals like detergents, paint and motor oil from washing into storm drains. Dispose of them properly at Household Chemical Collection at HHW North, 29582 U.S. 19 N., on select Saturdays a month from 9 a.m. 2 p.m.

Adopt-a-Drain Clearwater

The city of Clearwater is launching the Adopt-a-Drain Program. This program gives residents, neighborhoods and community groups a simple way to help protect our environment and reduce flooding. When you adopt a storm drain, you keep leaves, trash and other debris off the grate. Doing this before storms is especially important.

Most storm drains flow directly into lakes, creeks and wetlands without any filtration. Anything that enters a drain goes straight into the Tampa Bay Watershed or the gulf. By keeping drains clear, you help prevent pollution, protect wildlife and support the long-term resilience of Clearwater’s waterways.

Click here to open the interactive Adopt-a-Drain map and sign up to adopt a drain.

• Encourage your workplace or school to prohibit single-use plastics to reduce trash that can be blown into storm drains during a rainstorm.
• Don’t throw garbage into storm drains.
• Keep chalk art at least 50 feet from any stream or storm drain and cover drains with tarps, if needed, during cleanup.
• If your workplace deals with construction waste or chemicals, such as paints, solvents and detergents, store them under cover when not in use or before the rain.

It’s no fun picking up dog waste or stepping in it. But what’s worse than that is swimming in it, fishing in it or drinking it.

Studies show that up to 95 percent of fecal coliform bacteria in urban stormwater can come from pet waste, which washes from the grass to lakes, ponds, creeks, bays and beaches when it rains. When pet waste gets into our waterways, harmful bacteria can make people sick and cause algae blooms that suffocate fish and other aquatic life. 

Everyone should clean up after their pets. Flushing your pet's waste down the toilet is best, so it can be treated at a sewage treatment plant. However, bagging it and placing it in the trash is also acceptable. Plastic grocery or compostable dog waste bags make dog waste disposal easy.