Please Keep Grass Clippings Out Of Street.

It takes just as much effort to cut the grass and shoot it into your yard as it does to shoot it into the street. The difference is that it’s a GOOD THING to put it in your yard and a BAD THING to put it in the street. People notice these things.

Waterwise Wednesday: Pet Blizzard Protection

Most animal deaths in winter storms are caused by dehydration. Take precautions to insure the safety of your animals and pets.

Pawprint in snow
Photo © Dmitry Maslov

– Move animals to sheltered areas with a supply of non-frozen water

– Ensure their shelters can withstand wind, heavy snow and ice

– Provide access to high ground unimpeded by fencing or other barriers for when the snow and ice melt and flooding potential increases

Waterwise Wednesday: The First Flush

The First Flush is the initial stormwater runoff that picks up pollutants as it flows over surfaces. The photos below show what the first flush looks like at two Scottsbluff outfalls.


The swirl sheen indicates oil and grease washed off the roads by the stormwater runoff.
Murky gray water of the first flush carrying sediment, oils, heavy metals and other pollutants.
The clear water on top is clean groundwater that typically flows from this outfall. The murky gray water is first flush stormwater mixing with the clean groundwater as it travels to the North Platte River.

Waterwise Wednesday: Water Cost

Water is essential in the production of our food. And with greater awareness of water conservation those processes are changing our processing and consuming of food.

-Ag research looks for higher yields with less water
-Food factories develop less water intensive production methods
-Consumers shop local, eat whole/fresh foods, and reduce meat consumption

For reference, one liter equals about one quart in the graphic below.

No photo description available.

SWMP- Minimum Control Measure #6

Good Housekeeping/Pollution Prevention deals with the impact of Municipal Employees activities on stormwater pollution. All municipal employees receive training on minimizing their influence on stormwater by implementing Best Management Practices (BMP’s) in their everyday work.

SWMP- Minimum Control Measure #5

Post-Construction Stormwater Management is the most recently implemented MCM in the SWMP. For projects to require Stormwater Treatment Facilities they need to have been preliminary platted after Sept 1, 2017 and greater than an acre in size.

Water Wise Wednesday: Another Way to Tell Time

A drip a second from a leaky faucet sends five gallons of water down the drain in a day. An hour could be measured as 3,364 drips or about 3 3/4 cups of water.

According to the US Geological Survey, a typical drip is between 1/5 and 1/3 of one milliliter. Using 1/4 of a milliliter as an average, the USGS estimates that roughly 15,140 drips from a faucet equals one gallon of water.

In the end, it’s probably easier (and cheaper) to just set the clock ahead for Daylight Savings Time this Sunday.

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