Monroe County, Indiana

Watersheds

Rain Garden

Visit the Rain Garden page to learn how to reduce water pollution, minimize chemical use on your lawn, and attract birds and butterflies through the creation of a rain garden on your property.

Phosphorus-Free Pledge

Pledge to use phosphorus-free fertilizer and learn more about how your lawn care choices affect water quality at ClearChoicesCleanWater.org.

Best Management Practices (BMPs)

View the following Storm Water Management Protection Plans for ideas about how to promote clean water in your business.

• Best Management Practices: General Brochure
• Best Management Practices: Restaurants | (Spanish Version)
• Best Management Practices: Fueling Stations

BMPs for Restaurants and Food Services

• Prevent oil spills
• Recycle or sell used oil
• Clean grease traps regularly 
• Dry clean fats, oils and grease
• Keep fats, oils and grease out of garbage disposal 
• Locate grease bins appropriately 
• Schedule for grease bins to be pumped regularly 
• Designate a safe equipment washing area
• Pour wash water in map sink or wash basin
• Remember the 3 C's

Control: Prevent materials and debris from entering storm drains via procedural methods or "good housekeeping".

Contain: Isolate work areas to prevent discharges from leaving the site. Wash restaurant equipment inside the restaurants and dispose of wash water in sinks that drain to the sewer system.

Capture: Don't let waste water leave the site by any means except a plumbing drain.

• Do regular inspections 
• Educate staff
• Know the difference between a storm drain and sanitary sewer
• Sweep the pavement outside your establishment