Stormwater Management

Lavon’s Stormwater Management Program (SWMP)

The City of Lavon received its Phase II Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit from the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The permit term is under the National and Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems.

REPORT pollution-related concerns here.

Lavon’s Stormwater Management Program 

What the program does:

The program outlines Lavon’s Storm Water Management Plan. The City maintains the storm drainage system, inspects industrial and construction sites, performs stormwater sampling and system monitoring, investigates suspicious discharges or illegal dumping, and participates in public outreach and education.

What is stormwater, and where does it go?

Stormwater is runoff that is NEVER treated. When it rains, snows, sleets, or hails that precipitation comes into contact with many types of surfaces in the city: buildings, parking lots, streets, houses, yards, cars… and the list goes on! Ideally rain water would be absorbed into the ground, however in urbanized areas like parts of Lavon there are surfaces that prevent absorption. When the rain water cannot be absorbed it becomes runoff. Without a storm drainage system that runoff would cause a lot of flooding.

Lavon’s MS4 is comprised of storm drains, ditches, lined and unlined channels, creeks, and streams. Stormwater in the City of Lavon drains into these conveyances and eventually flows to Lake Ray Hubbard. A small portion of the City of Lavon is in the Lake Lavon Watershed.

Why does this program matter?
Rain washes over everything– including pollutants. Common stormwater pollutants include:

• Motor oils and other automotive fluids
• Soaps and detergents
• Litter
• Fertilizers, pesticides, and other yard chemicals
• Pet waste
• Soils and sediment
• Yard debris (grass clippings, leaves, etc.)

Once these pollutants get into the storm drain system, they go straight to our local waterways without any treatment and can cause many negative impacts. Some of the harmful chemicals like motor oils, soaps, and pesticides are toxic not only to wildlife but also for our drinking water supply. Fertilizers can support harmful algae blooms. Decaying yard waste and pet waste can deplete the water of oxygen and kill fish. Pet waste also leads to increased bacterial contamination that can make water unsafe for swimming and other recreational activities.

Report Stormwater Concern:

To report a stormwater concern you can contact Director of Public Works David Carter at the city at 972-853-0855 or  dcarter@lavontx.gov. You can also submit a concern through our website by clicking here.

Public Education Resources

Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination is serious business! Watch this short video (7 minutes) to learn about spotting and reporting stormwater pollution.

Texas Smartscape 

Please Don’t Feed the Storm Drain ! 

Just for kids:

“Freddy the Fish”
(for elementary school-age kids)
Freddy the Fish teaches kids about what happens to rain after it hits the ground, where storm drains lead to, and what we can do to help prevent water pollution.
Link: Watch the video…

“Stormwater to Drinking Water”
(for high school-age kids)
A video that teaches older children why we must protect our limited freshwater supplies from harmful contaminants, stressing that individual actions make a difference.
Link: Watch the video…

Stormwater Quiz Show Game
An interactive and customizable Jeopardy™ style game. Up to four players or groups, keeps track of scores, and is playable online or available for download.
Link: Play the game…

Ways you can help make a difference:

Check with your local neighborhood or homeowner’s association to see when a neighborhood clean-up event will be held in your area. If they don’t already have one, think about starting one!  Even something as simple as picking up the loose trash on your street makes a big impact and is a great way to get involved with your community.

Check with the Texas Department of Transportation to see if there are any Adopt-a-Highway spots available in your area.

Interested in getting involved to protect our local streams, rivers, and lakes? Joining the local Texas Stream Team chapter allows you the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience while helping monitor waterways on a monthly basis.  In addition to our region, basic water quality data is collected at sites across Texas and contributes to an overall picture of our state’s water quality.

Participate in a Stormwater Volunteer Study! CoCoRaHS is the Community Collaborative Rain Hail and Snow Network– a grassroots volunteer organization that measures precipitation rates across the country. Volunteers measure and report daily precipitation amounts in their own backyards, providing a more accurate understanding of just how differently rainfall occurs, even across our city!

Check out more pollution prevention tips and gather other ideas on how you can prevent stormwater pollution at home by visiting TakeCareofTexas.org.

Do you have an idea for a volunteer project? Are you already doing a project you want us to know about? Contact us and let us know!