A lowered roadside swale in Washington, D.C. absorbs and naturally filters water collected from the street.
Photo courtesy of Chesapeake Bay ProgramNo matter where you live, what flows off your property matters!

What can you do to slow down and clean up stormwater runoff? Make use of nature's percolation process. Install more infiltration devices—everything from rainbarrels and rain gardens to permeable pavers and water-detention ponds.

For ideas, visit the District of Columbia’s RiverSmart Homes Program, or this wikiHow website on reducing stormwater runoff at your home.

Remember: What goes down a storm drain goes directly and speedily to the nearest creek, unfiltered.