When it rains, anything on the ground that can float runs the risk of ending up in our storm drain system. Storm water isn’t treated before it flows into our river, creeks and bay. Consequently, the floating materials become pollution for these receiving waters. That pollution ends up on our area beaches or stays in the water. When it stays in the water, it can impact the people, pets, fish and wildlife that use the water. If you swim in the ocean, bay or river; if you fish or crab in the same bodies of water, or if you simply enjoy the environment of those areas, your experience will be less enjoyable if water pollution is involved. Fortunately, there are ways you can do your part to reduce water pollution. There are a number of websites where you can get more information.
Government-sponsored locations
At the national level, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has an excellent website for getting all kinds of information on pollution prevention. Doing searches at the EPA website under the topic National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) will give you some information on the requirements cities such as Corpus Christi must meet because our storm water system is not part of the wastewater system.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) website is another excellent source for information on pollution prevention.
The “Take Care of Texas” program is sponsored by TCEQ and has an excellent website for information you can use to conserve resources and reduce pollution. For more information on “Take Care of Texas,” go to:
Another TCEQ-sponsored program for businesses is the Clean Texas program. For more information go to:
And, of course, the City of Corpus Christi has information that would be very useful to you as well. Here are some suggested sites:
Solid Waste Services homepage (information on our recycling program, brush pickup, household hazardous waste, etc.
(By the way, did you know it was against City Ordinance to put anything in the storm drain system except rain? Did you also know that City Ordinance prohibits you from leaving yard debris in the street or gutter and that you have to keep your curb and gutter clear of overgrowth? These ordinances are in place to ensure that property owners and responsible parties do their part to keep the surface storm drain system free and clear.)
The
Water Department focuses on water conservation, but you can find some good information on pollution at their website, too.
The City also has an
Environmental Focus location with many, many links to environmentally-oriented websites.
Environmental Organizations
There are a large number of environmental organizations that provide information for both conservation and pollution prevention. Here are a few that might be of interest to you:
Keepers of the Coast Conservation Program
