MOUNT VERNON — The City of Mount Vernon is proud to join communities across Ohio in recognizing Ohio Stormwater Awareness Week, observed from Oct. 1-7.

The program is designed to educate residents, businesses and visitors about the importance of protecting local waterways from stormwater pollution.

Stormwater is rainwater or melted snow that flows over streets, parking lots and lawns. Before entering storm drains, stormwater can pick up pollutants such as oil, litter, fertilizers, pesticides and pet waste.

Unlike wastewater that goes down household drains, most stormwater is not treated before it flows directly into nearby rivers, lakes and streams.

The City of Mount Vernon is a regulated Municipal Separate Storm System, or MS4.

This means it has a conveyance or system of conveyances that are:

•Owned or operated by the municipality

•Designed or used for collecting or conveying solely stormwater

•Not a combined sewer

•Not part of a publicly owned treatment works

Those conveyances include roads with drainage systems, municipal streets, catch basins, curbs, gutters, ditches, manmade channels and storm drains.

Zane Mikesell is a GIS Technician III in the city’s engineering department and the city’s urban forester.

“The importance of stormwater management is especially significant for the City of Mount Vernon, where the Kokosing River – one of Ohio’s designated state scenic rivers – flows directly through the community,” Mikesell said.

“This designation recognizes the river’s exceptional water quality, scenic beauty, and ecological and social value. Keeping the Kokosing clean requires active efforts to reduce stormwater pollution at the source.”

Participating in stormwater awareness

Residents can participate in everyday activities that help reduce stormwater pollution. Those activities include:

• Planting deep-rooting plants and trees (particularly native varieties)

• Properly disposing of chemicals and hazardous waste

• Keeping storm drains clear of debris like leaves and litter

• Always picking up and properly disposing pet waste

• Volunteering at or organizing a stream cleanup

“While rainwater is beneficial for lawns and gardens, unmanaged, it can be dangerous for streams and rivers, particularly in an urban environment,” Mayor Matthew Starr said.

“Stormwater can push common household items like trash, lawn fertilizer and paint into our local waterways, posing a threat to our clean drinking water and the overall environment.

“And Mount Vernon’s status as an MS4 city doesn’t just help us ameliorate all of those issues. It’s a crucial tool for helping us to meet various federal and state EPA requirements,” Starr added.

Trees are one of the most effective natural tools for stormwater management. Their roots and leaves absorb rainwater, reducing runoff and filtering pollutants from the soil before they reach waterways.

Tree canopies also reduce the impact of heavy rain by slowing it down before it hits the ground. Preserving existing trees and planting new ones in yards and neighborhoods can greatly improve local water quality and reduce flooding.

The City of Mount Vernon offers free trees to its residents as part of the Tree City USA (TCP) program. Residents who would like to have a tree planted in their yard or tree lawn can request a tree by calling the engineering department at 740-393-9528.

They can also complete the online TCP request form:  

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeFlc1k2l7Al6brIZ2M5WdgnPWMZA9cSiqsYQjdsRRPXChS8A/ viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0

To learn more about the city’s stormwater utilities, residents can review Codified Ordinance 920 at https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/mtvernonoh/latest/mtvernon_oh/0-0-0-13039or visit https://www.mtvernonoh.gov/211/Utilities.