Storm Water Management

Neighbors and Friends, I would like to take a few moments and talk to you about the importance of stormwater management.  Haddon Heights is a watershed.  What does this mean?  A watershed is an area of land that water flows through or over and then drains into a body of water.  It may drain into a small stream, lake, river, or even the ocean.   Remember even though the water leaves Haddon Heights it is our responsibility to keep it clean and healthy.  Stormwater ends up in our streams, lakes, and potentially our drinking water.   Here are some examples of how to keep our waterways clean.  

Stormwater flows over our streets, lawns, and pretty much every area at a lower elevation.  It picks up debris from the roads such as trash, oil, pesticides, animal waste, sediment, and anything else on the road it can carry.  To help limit the impact here are several examples you can follow.  Limit the amount of fertilizer you put on your lawn.  Do not fertilize right before it rains and pick up after your pet as pet waste contains harmful bacteria and parasites.  Always place trash in the proper receptacle and never throw cigarette butts in the street.  One cigarette butt can take up to 25 years to fully break down.   Any and all trash not properly disposed of can kill or harm our wildlife. We have an abundance of wildlife in our area such as ducks, eagles, hawks, turkeys, deer, and let’s not forget about the many species of fish and turtles.

Do not blow your grass clippings into the street and please put your leaves on the curb, not in the street.  Natural and organic debris flows into our streams and lakes.  It will spike nitrogen and phosphorus levels in the water and cause algae blooms. This lowers the oxygen level in the water killing aquatic life and growing toxic bacteria. 

All it takes is a little effort to make a big difference.  Help protect our waterways and our wildlife for years to come. 

Brian Heckler
Borough of Haddon Heights
Stormwater Coordinator

Stormwater Code: https://ecode360.com/6580680 

Safety standards for stormwater management basins: https://ecode360.com/37434931?highlight=retrofitted&searchId=16324015262595237