We're Thankful for You! 

Stormwater pollution is the top cause of water pollution, but most of stormwater pollution is totally preventable. We are thankful for folks in our community that work to reduce their stormwater impact. Here are a few simple tips on how you can reduce your impact: 

• Regularly check your car for oil, gas, or antifreeze leaks, and never dispose of these items in the driveway, street, or storm drain.
• Dispose of paint according to the label and take it to the landfill.
• Pick up after your pet! You can bag it and trash it, or bury it a foot deep and cover it with 8 inches of soil.
• Compost your yard trimmings and leaf litter!
• Consider exploring alternatives to fertilizers and pesticides with harsh chemicals in them. Try using eco-friendly products with naturally derived ingredients. 
• Take your car to a car wash or wash it in the grass to reduce runoff.
• Pick up your trash! Anything that is on our streets, sidewalks, yards, or parking lots will eventually be carried into our storm drains after it rains.
• Reduce your use, reuse what you can, and recycle items that are recyclable! For more information on how to recycle properly, visit https://www.accgov.com/1329/Recycling.
• Install rain barrels to capture runoff and use that water later to water your yard or garden.
• Build a rain garden to catch runoff and filter out pollutants! Learn more about rain gardens by visiting https://www.accgov.com/DocumentCenter/View/55371/Rain-Garden-Brochure. 
• Anonymously report water pollution, flooding, or dumping to 7066133440 or 7066141282.

Need Help with Leaf Litter?

With colder temperatures, lots of trees are starting to shed their leaves for the winter. If you've notice a lot of leaves falling in your yard, we encourage you to look into leaf and limb pick up through Solid Waste. Leaf and limb collection is free for residential customers and occurs every 6 weeks. For more information on leaf and limb collection, visit https://www.accgov.com/1320/Leaf-Limb. 

In addition to utilizing Solid Waste's leaf and limb collection, composting leaves that have fallen in your yard or in the curb is another great option! Composting leaves is a great way to create a soil that is full of nutrients and great for gardens! Check out this blog post that discusses how to compost leaves: https://blog.davey.com/compost-shredded-dry-leaves-to-get-these-leaf-compost-benefits/. 

Impervious Surface Adjustment/Review Request Online Form

The stormwater utility fee that property owners pay in Athens is based on the amount of impervious surface on each property, which is calculated using aerial images of the county. The utility fee is extremely important as it pays for stormwater infrastructure maintenance within the public right-of-way, as well as a comprehensive Stormwater Management Program. If you believe that we may need to review the amount of impervious surface on your property, please fill out our online form found at https://www.accgov.com/10489/Impervious-Surface-AdjustmentReview-Requ. 

Notice Dumping?

Call the Stormwater Hotline at 706-614-1282 if you see someone dumping into a storm drain or notice flooding due to clogged pipes.