Where does our water go? All the water we use inside our homes goes directly to the septic system or to a sanitary sewer system and then to a wastewater treatment plant where it is cleaned and released back into our creeks, streams, and lakes cleaner than when it started.
What about all the water outside our homes such as the rainwater that falls on our roofs, lawns, driveways, roads, streets, roadside ditches and parking lots? Where does this water go? It is not always easy to tell where this “STORMWATER” goes after it gets to the gutter, storm drain, street or ditch. The stormwater flows from these places to our creeks, streams, and lakes, BUT IS NOT CLEANED before it gets there.
The rainwater from our roofs, gutters, lawns, driveways, parking lots, roads, and roadside ditches picks up trash and pollution. This pollution includes oil and antifreeze that drips from our cars, excess fertilizer and pesticides from our lawns, litter, grass clippings, leaves, and pet waste. Once pollution is picked up by the rainwater it moves through gutters, storm sewers and ditches to our creeks, streams, and lakes where it can cause health and safety problems for us and the living things in them. Because we live on or near Lake Erie, and most of Northeast Ohio’s rainwater flows from creeks and streams to the Lake, we not only affect the health of our creeks, but the health of our Lake, its beaches, and our drinking water supply.
Rainwater from roofs, lawns, driveways, streets, roadside ditches and parking lots in Chester Township drains to small creeks that flow into the Chagrin River and then to Lake Erie. This rainwater has a direct impact on some of our greatest assets in this area, the Chagrin River watershed and Lake Erie. There are many ways we can help keep our water clean, save money, and prevent problems. It is important that we work together to keep our creeks and streams healthy.
Chester Township is working to make sure that creeks and streams running through our community are clean and free of pollutants to help keep them, the Chagrin River watershed and the Lake Erie watershed a healthy place for our use and enjoyment.