Rostraver Elementary School Students Design Educational Posters for MS4

Last Updated on Tuesday, 01 March 2022 02:58

Rostraver Township is an MS4 Community. MS4 stands for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) program.

Rostraver Elementary School students designed MS4 educational posters about the importance of clean water and not polluting our storm sewers. Pictured above from (L to R) are: Jordan Jerome (Hon. Mention), Noah Spedaliere (3rd Place), Jocelyn Cramer (1st Place), Lilah Steeber (Hon. Mention) and Lucy Eisengart (2nd Place).

It is a program regulated by the EPA and DEP to address water pollution. Stormwater is the precipitation that flows across the land including anything from the natural ground to the runoff water that goes over hard surfaces such as your roof or driveway. Rain or snowmelt that falls on a roof, driveway, or patio pick up pollutants as it goes. Those pollutants flow into streams or storm drains that empty into our waterways like the Monongahela and Youghiogheny River. You can do your part by being mindful of what you put into the water and reduce the number of pollutants that need to be filtered.

Here are some simple things we can all do to make a difference:

Wash your car on grass or gravel instead of in the street on in your driveway. All the soap, scum, and oil residue runs along the curb and into a storm drain where it ends up in streams.
When you fertilize your lawn, avoid fertilizing it the day before a rainstorm to avoid fertilizer chemicals being carried into the local streams and rivers.
Do not direct grass clippings or raked leaves into a storm drain or stream.
Other small things you can do include making sure your trash is securely tied; shoveling the snow before salting; and storing chemicals in waterproof containers.

These small acts can make a huge impact for the safety and cleanliness of our community’s water as stormwater pollution is the primary source for water pollution.

If you would like to more about Rostraver Township’s MS4 program, please visit the website http://www.rostraver.us. and attend the March 30, 2022 work session at 5:00pm where the Annual Public Education and Outreach Program on Stormwater Impacts will be presented to the Commissioners.