Keep Leaves out of Storm Drains

This fall as you are preparing to clean up your lawn, please do not rake leaves or other debris into storm drains. Nothing but untainted rain water should flow from your yard into storm drains. Lawn clippings, leaves and other debris often clump, which can contribute to a larger problem underground in the pipe system.

But, perhaps you only occasionally allow grass clippings, leaves and other plants to wash down the drains?! Well, multiply your “occasionals” by the hundreds of subdivisions and thousands of homes in the Kansas City metropolitan region and it’s easy to see why non-point source pollution is becoming a major concern. The best option, ecologically speaking, is to re-mow your yard several times so the clippings will sink down into the lawn and break down quickly, providing valuable fertilizer.