Clean Water Act

The Clean Water Act was passed in 1972 by the U.S. Congress to control pollutants that were being dumped into our nation's waters. The Clean Water Act gave the Environmental Protection Agency the authority to set standards for industry pollution. The act also made it unlawful for any individual to pollute any waterway. The Clean Water Act's main goal is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the nation's waters so they can support fish, shellfish, wildlife and recreation. 

Be aware: Only rain in the drains help keep pollution out of storm drains. Storm drains and roadside ditches lead directly to lakes, rivers,creeks and streams. Oil, trash, leaves, debris or dirty water from cleaning cars flowing into a storm drain gets into our waterways. We all need to be aware of what goes into our storm drains; awareness is important. Many people believe storm drains are connected to sanitary sewer systems and that storm water is treated at sewage treatment plants. This is not true. Storm water is not treated. People carelessly dump many pollutants like motor oil, pesticides and paint into storm drains. 

Non-point source pollution is ranked as one of the highest ecological risks because it poses a significant threat to the birds, fish and aquatic life that live in our waterways. 

Please help us keep storm drains clean, especially during wet weather events. Township Officials ask residents who see anyone dumping into curb drains or storm sewers to please notify the Public Works or Police Department as soon as possible. Residents who see a catch basin or a storm sewer covered with debris should remove the debris to allow the drains to accept water flow.