Charles River Watershed Association

Examine the Impacts of Your Company Vehicles and Parking Area

Inspect regularly to make sure your company vehicles don't leak fluids like oil and antifreeze that can be washed by rain or melting snow into surface waters and groundwater.
When refilling fluid reservoirs, use funnels and drip pans to avoid and contain spills.
Recycle or dispose of all waste fluids properly -- not down floor drains, sinks, or storm drains. (Floor drains should lead to a legal "tight 'holding tank or a municipal sanitary sewer system, and Massachusetts and local regulations limit what you can send through a floor drain to the sewer -- for instance, gasoline and solvents are
prohibited.)
Take your vehicles to commercial washers rather than wash them on-site, since commercial washers capture detergents and other pollutants and recycle water. If you do wash your vehicles on-site, and you have an oil/water separator in your drain, be aware that detergents can render it ineffective; therefore, wash without
detergent or wash at some distance from the drain, perhaps over a permeable surface. Conserve water and detergent by using buckets of suds and rinse water rather than hoses, and select a low- or no-phosphate detergent.

Reduce the Portion of Your Site That is Covered by Impermeable Surfaces

If you are planning to construct or resurface a parking area or other parts of your site, consider scaling back how much area is paved with impermeable materials like high-density asphalt and concrete. Pavers, gravel, vegetated areas, and even porous varieties of asphalt and concrete allow precipitation to seep into the ground
rather than run off. Overflow parking areas, pedestrian areas, and other areas that do not experience heavy traffic may be particularly appropriate for porous surface materials.
Even within the boundaries of a paved surface -- for example, between parking lanes -- grass swales and filter strips can be used to direct, intercept and percolate water.
During and after any resurfacing project, plant, sod, rnulch, net, or otherwise secure bare soil to prevent erosion and runoff.

Rethink the Way You Deal with Snow and Ice

If your storm drain grates and catch basins are clean, runoff will drain from your site and you will have less trouble with ice and less need to use ice melt. Sweep your paved surfaces and make sure your drains are free of debris before snow season begins. Inspect drains periodically, and clean out sand, salt and other debris at
the end of the season.
Plow or shovel before using salt or sand so you will not have to use as much.
Reduce the quantify of rock salt (sodium chloride) you use on walkways, driveways and parking lots in the winter by using it only where needed and distributing it carefully. Sweep or shovel up the excess after the ice has melted. Consider alternatives to rock salt such as calcium chloride, calcium magnesium acetate, and magnesium chloride. Use more sand and less salt.
Store sand and salt in a protected area: contain within walls made of cinder blocks or concrete barriers, and cover with a tarp or board.

Make Landscaping Work for You

Have the soil in your lawn or border tested to determine how acid it is and what type and how much fertilizer and other soil additives you need. Choose plants that best suit the natural acidity and other characteristics of your soil, then add lime, fertilizer, or other additives only in the amount needed.
Plant native, hardy, drought- and pest-resistant plants and grasses.
Avoid using pesticides, but if you or your landscaper needs to use them, look for less toxic products based on bacteria, hormones, oils, and soaps. Make sure your landscaper is licensed and certified to apply pesticides. If you choose to apply pesticides yourself, use only pesticides that are approved for use by non-professionals, read and follow the directions on the label, and call the Massachusetts Pesticide Bureau (617-727-3020) to find out about requirements for posting and notification.
Use slow-release fertilizers to minimize runoff.
For best absorption and fewest pests, water slowly -- by drip irrigation, soaker hoses, or just a trickle at the base of the plants -- and 'in the early morning. Use mulch and organic compost to retain moisture in beds.
If permitted by local building code, direct one or more down spouts to well-planted areas rather than to storm sewers, dry wells, or (worst of all) paved surfaces.
Plant trees to shelter your building and grounds from storm water.

Conduct Environmentally Responsible Building Renovation & Maintenance

In hiring contractors for painting, roofing, carpentry, paving, grounds keeping and other jobs, ask them to minimize waste and use less hazardous materials to avoid contaminating storm water.
Have painters use tarps or plastic sheeting to contain paint chips, dust and drips.
Do not allow workers to dump paints, oil, detergents, solvents, or other liquids into storm drains.
Make sure all building materials and wastes are stored properly to prevent exposure to storm water and runoff.
Arrange the work site so that truck tires will not track mud, cement, paint, or other materials off- site.
Use wood treated with preservatives only where necessary to prevent pest infestation or likely decay, as preservatives can leach into water and soil.

Make Litter Management a Habit

Provide trash receptacles for customers and passersby to use to prevent littering.
Don't create litter yourself shelter your materials from the elements. For example, bags of fertilizer stored outdoors are more likely to deteriorate, tear and spill; castoff appliances and machine parts exposed to the weather can shed oil or other pollutants.
Sweep up litter, animal waste, and other debris you find on your site before it has a chance to wash away, and dispose of it 'in a trash receptacle rather than in the street.
Cover your trash barrels or dumpsters to prevent spillage and leaching. Containing your barrels in a shed or your dumpster inside a fence provides backup protection and can discourage "drive- by" dumping. Customers will notice your efforts, and you'll have fewer pests!