Public Utilities

• Stormwater Utility General Information
• Report an Illicit Discharge
• What Should I Know
• Construction Site Information
• Storm Water Links

Stormwater Utility General Information

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For ten simple ways you can help improve local water resources visit http://www.mnwaterconnection.com/

• Stormwater Utility Brochure
• Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP)

Every time it rains, water washes sediment, nutrients, animal waste, and toxins into wetlands, lakes and rivers. These harmful pollutants can be carried through the stormwater system and discharged directly into our nearby waters without getting treated at the wastewater facility!

Pollution carried by rain and snowmelt is called stormwater pollution because it is carried by stormwater runoff.

Stormwater pollution can make our wetlands, lakes and rivers sick!

• Gamefish populations have declined in some areas
• Unsuitable swimming and fishing waters have developed

What types of stormwater pollutants are there?
The main stormwater pollutants of Minnesota's waters are:

• Sediment
• Nutrients
• Bacteria
• Toxins
• Metals
• Temperature

How Can I Help?
We can all work together to prevent and minimize pollution draining into our wetlands, lakes and rivers! Look at these Fact Sheets for the Pet Owner, Car Owner and Home Owner which provide helpful tips that you can follow to help reduce stormwater pollution.

The City of St. Cloud needs your help to find illicit discharges into our stormwater system. If you have seen any substance other than rain enter the stormwater system, please click here to Report an Illicit Discharge.

Sediment
One of the biggest pollution problems for Minnesota is sediment. Soil and sand is easily carried from exposed soil areas by wind or water and deposited in wetlands, lakes and rivers. Sediment can fill in these important water ways and eventually inhibit wildlife habitat, reduce fishing opportunities, and make boating and swimming unpleasant or impossible.

Nutrients
Plants need nutrients to grow and develop properly. Some of the more important nutrients that plants need are phosphorous, nitrogen and potassium.

However, too much of some things can turn out to be bad. When excess nutrients enter a waterway, algae populations can rapidly grow causing our lakes, rivers and wetlands to turn green, slimy and smelly and can eventually lead to habitat loss and fish kills.

Besides looking and smelling bad, some algae can actually be toxic to people and their pets!

Did you know one extra pound of phosphorous added to a lake can produce up to 500 pounds of algae!

Bacteria
High levels of bacteria found in feces have caused swimming areas to close. The bacteria comes from failing septic systems, wildlife, livestock, and pet feces that get washed into area waters during rain or snowmelt events.

Scoop the Poop! It is Your responsibility as a pet owner and it is expected of you from the community! Scooping the poop is cool— want to be uncool??? Just leave it sit there!

Remember to always pick up after your pet and maintain your septic systems regularly.

Toxins
Yard-care chemicals, road salt, oil, paint, cleaners, seepage from storage yards, any automobile liquids that have dripped can be classified as toxins. Basically, any poison that washes into our Minnesota waters can harm wildlife and the habitats in which they dwell.

Toxins can also affect the drinking water supply making it more costly to treat.

Metals
Metals such as lead, copper and zinc can wash into our wetlands, lakes and rivers. Mainly, the sources for metals include roofing materials and automobile maintenance and repair.

Temperature
Stormwater running off hot roofs, roads and parking lots in the summer can easily raise the stream temperatures leading to unsafe water temperatures for some fish.