Stormwater Pollution

Why does Athens need stormwater management?

Athens is the classic city. An epicenter of art, culture, academia, and architecture, the city boasts of a proud history. But with age comes difficulty. The infrastructure of the "Classic City" is dated and in need of repair. Years of pounding from the weather and normal wear has left some areas in need of restoration and damaged the health of our streams and rivers. In an effort to address these problems and to ensure that a safe infrastructure remains in place, the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government has established a Stormwater Utility.

We all contribute.

Unfortunately, we all contribute to stormwater pollution just by our everyday life. The grass clippings from your lawn accumulate and carry excess amounts of nutrients into our waterways, which also serves as the source for our drinking water.Pet waste, fertilizer, soap from washing a car, and oil from you car, are all common pollutants that affect our water quality. This type of pollution is called nonpoint source pollution because it comes from many different places and is caused by many different activities. Proper stormwater management is needed to help reduce the amount of nonpoint source pollution that enters our local waters, especially if we are to keep them safe for fishing, swimming, and boating. And we all must share in the costs of proper stormwater management.

We all benefit.

The issue of stormwater management affects us all, and by establishing a utility to fund the maintenance of the system, Athens-Clarke County residents and businesses are assured that their stormwater system is properly managed. The goals of the Athens-Clarke County stormwater program are to alleviate flooding, reduce the discharge of harmful pollutants associated with stormwater runoff, and to protect the water quality of our streams and rivers. To achieve these goals, the Athens-Clarke County stormwater program is dedicated to improving stormwater management practices and educating the public on how they can help to better manage stormwater pollution.