Monthly Tip: February

Have a heart for our water resources!

Valentine’s Day might be just for lovers, but February is the month for everyone to show that they have a heart for our water resources.

Currently, most Rhode Island towns are working to reduce the effects of polluted stormwater runoff, which is the water you see flowing down the street when it rains. This month, you can adopt two rules-of-thumb, in an effort to minimize the problem of stormwater in our town:



Keep as much water as possible off of paved surfaces.

Keep the water that does run off, as clean as possible.

There are a few simple steps that you can take at home to keep water off of pavement, such as diverting rooftop runoff to a rain barrel or directing downspouts onto the lawn instead of the driveway or sidewalk. Washing your car at a designated car wash or on the grass – not in the driveway – and using a broom, instead of a hose, to sweep up, also can help.

To keep the water that does run off clean, you can sweep spilled fertilizers, grass clippings, and soil off sidewalks and driveways and back onto the lawn. Never put household chemicals down storm drains or indoor drains, and keep dog waste off the sidewalk.

For additional tips to help safeguard our waters, visit the archive.