Raise your hand if you’ve ever witnessed a neighbor or landscaping crew finish mowing a lawn by blowing grass clipping into the street? Heck, maybe you’ve done it yourself – but did you know anything that enters a storm drain goes directly to a local lake, river or other surface water? It does not go to a wastewater treatment facility, which means the grass clippings and ALL that comes with them (fertilizer, pet waste, trash, soil, etc.) are being carried to our water bodies. Elk River City Code prohibits intentionally disposing of grass, leaves, dirt, or landscaping material into a water resource such as a catch basin or storm drain. Grass and other vegetative debris in lakes and rivers decays, consuming oxygen and releasing phosphorus, a plant nutrient responsible for foul-smelling water, algae blooms, and negative health impacts to aquatic wildlife.
For more information, or to report illegal dumping in storm drains, visit ElkRiverMN.gov/StormwaterMaintenance.