North Hempstead, NY – Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth is urging residents to call the Town’s 311 Call System to report any pollution that they observe entering the roadways and the storm drains. Pollution that enters the roadways is carried to the drains, and it discharges directly to Hempstead Harbor, Manhasset Bay and Little Neck Bay. For this reason, we also remind residents not to throw litter or cigarette butts on the road. Contrary to popular belief, the storm drains do not carry water to treatment plants. Illegal discharges would include oils and auto fluids, failing septic systems, fluids seeping from dumpsters and garbage trucks, large deposits of sediment or construction dust, wash water from commercial car washes, or food grease from restaurants.

“Protecting the integrity of our storm water runoff is critical to the health of our surrounding waterways and our Code Enforcement officers and the Building and Highway departments are always on the lookout for any violators,” said Supervisor Bosworth. “However, we also ask our residents to keep an eye out for pollutants that that might be dumped into our storm water system. Our 311 call operators are specially trained to take these calls and to ask the right questions so that they contact the proper authorities.”

Callers should be ready to describe the specific location of the discharge, to describe the possible source of the fluids, and to describe the discharge in terms of color, odor, bubbles, etc.

Residents should be on the lookout for the following sources of pollution entering the roadways:

• Failing septic systems
• Illegal dumping of restaurant grease, oils or auto fluids
• “Dumpster juice” from dumpsters or trucks
• Wash water from commercial car washes
• Large deposits of sediment or construction dust
  
• “Mystery” fluids with strange colors, odors, bubbles, or opaqueness.

Residents can contact our call center operators by calling 311 or 516-869-6311. 311 is also available online at www.northhempsteadny.gov/311online.

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