*Current Storm Sewer fee: $2.60 per month
For more information about the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) or storm water, click on these links:
Managing Storm Water in Ames, IA (brochure)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:
http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/index.cfm
Iowa Department of Natural Resources:
http://www.iowadnr.com/water/stormwater/index.html
Iowa Stormwater Partnership:
http://www.iowastormwater.org
It is important to understand that anything going down a storm sewer eventually ends up in a river or creek untreated.
If asked, most people know this, but don't always make the connection.
Often, it is simply too convenient to rinse something down a storm drain in a parking lot.
Businesses should make sure they know where all of their floor or yard drains and sump pits actually go.
Occasionally, drain lines are inadvertently connected to storm sewers when they should really be tied into the sanitary sewer.
The Clean Water Act (CWA) requires a permit for any discharge into any "waters of the United States." These "waters" include creeks and rivers.
Examples of prohibited discharges include, but are not limited to:
You should know that many of these discharges are also illegal even when going to the sanitary sewer.
Ames has a Non-Domestic Waste Pretreatment Program to regulate discharges into the sanitary sewers. Contact the Water and Pollution Control for more information.
The anti-freeze from a single radiator can be safely disposed of in a sanitary sewer and treated by the City's wastewater treatment plant. However, large quantities from commercial or fleet maintenance programs will upset the plant's biological system and are prohibited.
Any anti-freeze discharge directly into a river or stream can cause environmental damage to fish and other aquatic life, and is not allowed. Dry weather compounds the problems from these illegal discharges.
When there is very little water in area streams, there is virtually no dilution occurring. During dry conditions, wildlife are drawn to any available water they can find. Also, the lower water levels make improper discharges much easier to spot.
The first and best source of information is the manufacturer or distributor of the substance which you want to dispose.
Contact Information:
To report storm water violations:
To report a chemical spill 24-hours a day:
For more information about what can be discharged into a storm sewer or other waterway:
For more information about what can be discharged into a sanitary sewer: