Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
In order to combat stormwater pollution, the County is asking residents to install and implement stormwater best management practices (BMPs). BMPs can slow or absorb stormwater runoff that is carried over impervious surfaces like rooftops, driveways, and sidewalks that convey any exposed pollutants into our local waterways.
Some common homeowner BMPs are:
The functionality of these practices requires routine maintenance to get the full preventative potential that they can provide to our waterways. Below are some brochures to help guide you through the steps of maintaining your BMP.
Taking some of these actions can also earn you points in the Green Homes Challenge - Green Leader Challenge! Visit FrederickGreenChallenge.org to get started!
A bioswale is a landscaping feature that facilitates the slowing, collecting, and filtering of stormwater in a depressed, concentrated area. They are designed to manage a large quantities of stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces, like a parking lot or street. They are generally linear systems that are greater in length than width, and are vegetated with plants that can withstand both heavy watering and drought.
A drywell is an underground storage facility that receives and temporarily stores stormwater runoff from roofs. The storage of this runoff allows the water to infiltrate into the surrounding soils and into the groundwater. A dry well may be either a structural chamber or an excavated pit with a gravel like fill.
A micro-bioretention is a filtration system that treats runoff by passing it through a filter bed mixture of sand, soil, and organic matter. A perforated pipe within the stone layer collects and directs the filtered rainwater from large storms to a storm drain system so the facility drains within 2 days. Micro-bioretention areas are often located in parking lot islands, cul-de-sac islands, or along roads.
Porous Pavement or permeable pavement allows rain and snowmelt to seep down to underlying layers of soil and gravel. In addition to reducing the runoff from the rain that falls on them, porous pavements can help filter out pollutants that contribute to water pollution, reduce the need for road salt, and reduce construction costs for residential and commercial development by reducing the amount of conventional drainage features.
A Rain Garden is a depressed area in the landscape that collects rain water from a roof, driveway or street, and allows it to soak into the ground. Planted with grasses and flowering perennials, rain gardens can be a cost effective and beautiful way to reduce runoff from your property. Rain gardens can also help preserving clean rainwater, creating habitat, and preventing local flooding and water pollution.
Stormwater management ponds are designed to collect stormwater and slowly release it so that downstream areas are not flooded or eroded. The collection of stormwater runoff in this retention area, allows the pollutants and sediments to settle down to the bottom of the pond before they have a chance to enter into our local waterways. Depending on the type of pond, pooled water can remain permanently (wet pond) or it could all be released within 72 hours (dry pond).
Rain barrels capture water from a roof and hold it for later use, such as watering lawns, gardens, or indoor plants. Collecting roof runoff in rain barrels reduces the amount of water that flows from your property.