Stormwater Information for Businesses

As part of the Town of North Attleborough's Stormwater Management Program, businesses, institutions and churches are encouraged to help keep our waterways clean by using Best Management Practices (BMPs) when maintaining your property. The following our some tips to help your community improve our stormwater system. Visit Think Blue Massachusetts to see more or to download helpful brochures.

Waste & Material Storage

If rain falls into your dumpsters or on your raw materials, then it's carrying some of that stuff with it as it drains away. A little good housekeeping and a few sheds or tin roofs can take care of that problem. Property managers should inspect dumpster regularly and only store chemicals outside with tight-fitting lids.

Parking Lots

Businesses, churches, hospitals, and other institutions can do a lot to reduce polluted runoff from their parking lots.One solution is to replace asphalt with modern "permeable" pavements that allow rain and melting snow to soak in rather than run off. Another is to design parking lots to drain into catch basins, filter strips, and stormwater ponds, rather than directly into the storm sewer system.

Snow & Ice Removal

When businesses, churches, and hospitals use road salt and de-icers, melting snow carries those chemicals into waterways. Businesses should store these chemicals carefully and apply them sparingly. When purchasing, read the labels on de-icing products and choose those that are not toxic to animals and plants.

Outdoor Cleaning

Grounds crews should sweep sidewalks, loading docks, and parking lots and dispose of the trash and debris in the dumpster, rather than washing these areas with a hose. If outdoor washing is necessary, look for environmentally friendly, water-based cleaning products. Maintenance crews should rinse paint cans, brushes, buckets, or other cleaning materials in an indoor sink.

Landscaping Chemicals & Fertilizer

Groundskeepers should test soil and read the label before applying fertilizer. If they use too much fertilizer, the excess will just wash away in the next rain, polluting local waterways. Use fertilizers sparingly and sweep up driveways, sidewalks, and walkways.

Irrigation

Most businesses only need to water their landscaping once a week. It's smart to put sprinklers on timers so they water early in the morning, and point them so that they don't water the sidewalk or driveways. If your business has stormwater ponds, cisterns, or rain barrels that capture rain before it leaves your property, using that water on your landscaping often makes a lot of sense.

Fleet Care

Many institutions maintain fleets of trucks, buses, ambulances, and other vehicles on site. Do this carefully to keep gasoline, oil, and soap suds out of storm drains and waterways. Vehicle maintenance should be done indoors, using drop cloths and drip pans. If there is a spill, clean it up promptly using absorbent sand and kitty litter.