For Businesses

Clean water is everyone's business. As water flows over parking lots, lawns and plant beds, it collect pesticides, oils, chemicals and other pollutants. The storm drains on or near your property are connected to the city's storm sewers, which flow directly into the closet stream.

Guidelines to Follow

Businesses in Winston-Salem can help protect our water quality by establishing and following some simple procedures.

• Clean up car fluid with an absorbent material such as cat litter, sweep up and place in trash. Never hose into gutters or storm drains.
• Clean up trash and litter around your property.
• Dispose of engine oil. paint, fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals and hazardous materials properly. Contact 3RC The EnviroStation.
• Do not wash vehicles where runoff could enter a storm drain.
• Don't clean paintbrushes or rinse paint containers into a street, gutter, or storm drain. Water based paints should be cleaned in the sink. Oil based paints should be cleaned with paint thinner and then filter and reuse thinner.
• Don't dump mop water and other cleaning water into parking lots or storm drains. Pour it down sinks and toilets instead, where it will flow into the city's waste water treatment facility.
• Garden and lawn maintenance workers should never blow or rake leaves into the street, gutter or storm drain.
• Inspect and label storm drain inlets. Identifying storm drain inlets on your property alerts employees that no dumping is allowed.
• Keep trash dumpster lids closed and make sure your dumpster does not leak. Never pour liquids into your dumpster.
• Never dump grease or waste into storm drains. Store grease containers away from storm drains to prevent spills.
• Train all employees on proper disposal methods for the wastes that your business generates.
• Use fertilizers, weed killers, deicing and/or other chemicals only as needed. Sweep up any dried residues and place in the trash. Dispose of hazardous wastes properly. Never hose into gutters or storm drains.