There’s a lot happening beneath the surface of a city that’s just as important as what we see above ground—and a vital, but often overlooked, system is stormwater management.
This week, the City of Kyle is joining communities across Texas in recognizing Stormwater Awareness Week to highlight the importance of keeping our waterways clean and protecting our local environment.
Stormwater is rainwater that runs off rooftops, driveways, streets, and other hard surfaces. Along the way, it can pick up pollutants like oil, trash, fertilizers, and pet waste, carrying them into our creeks, rivers, and aquifers. Unlike water from our homes, stormwater doesn’t go through a treatment plant, it flows directly into natural waterways, impacting the quality of the water we all depend on.
Stormwater Awareness Week is a great time to remind everyone in our Kyle community that small changes make a big difference. Simple actions like picking up after pets, properly disposing of yard clippings, limiting fertilizer use, and never dumping waste into storm drains help protect water quality and reduce flooding risks.
“Stormwater management is a team effort,” said Kathy Roecker, Stormwater Management Program Administrator. “Every resident plays a role in keeping Kyle’s waterways clean and safe for future generations.”
Here in Kyle, the Stormwater Program is dedicated to protecting our local waterways by preventing pollution and promoting responsible stormwater practices. The program operates under the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) MS4 permit and other federal, state, and local regulations.
Some of the problems that Stormwater Management Program staff respond to are polluted runoff, unauthorized or illegal dumping of chemicals, sewage, or industrial waste into storm drains or ditches and construction site runoff. All of these, if uncontrolled, can flow into our local waterways.
If you see something like this in your neighborhood, please call Kyle 3-1-1 to report a problem or share a concern.
To learn more about stormwater and how you can help, visit KyleStormwater.com.
