Upper Makefield Township needs your help to keep our waterways clean. Every rain or snow melt sends a trickle of pollutants from your yard –pet waste, lawn care products, leaves, soil, and bits of trash—untreated—into the tributaries of the creeks and groundwater feeding the Delaware River.

As an Upper Makefield Resident, you can preserve the health of our waterways:

• Limit use of lawn chemicals to minimal application levels.
• Landscape with native plants.
• Bag and compost leaves and grass clippings.
• Sweep your curbside street inlets and drains free of yard debris. (Never blow leaves or grass clipping into the street)
• Clean up after your pet to reduce the level of harmful bacteria flowing untreated into streams
• Use commercial car washes, which recycle and treat water, or wash your car on grass or an area that can absorb the water.
• Pick up litter and trash routinely.
• Dispose of oil and automotive fluids properly and legally.
• Report concerns to the Township for investigation by submitting a Citizen Illicit Discharge Reporting Form or by calling 215-968-3314.

Illicit discharge is any discharge to the storm sewer system that does not consist entirely of stormwater. Some examples of reportable activities include:

• Sewage
• Process wastewater
• Household cleaners and chemicals
• Lawn fertilizers and grass clippings
• Vehicle fluids
• Vehicle wash water if cleaning agents are used
• Trash
• Animal waste

Exceptions are limited to the following:

• Flows from firefighting activities
• Water line and fire hydrant flushing
• Groundwater and springs, flows from riparian habitats and wetlands
• Foundation and footing drains
• Non-contaminated HVAC condensation and water from geothermal systems
• Non-contaminated irrigation and lawn maintenance water
• Vehicle wash water not using cleaning agents
• Hydrostatic test water discharges”

These innovative one-property storm water systems really make a difference in filtering rainwater before it reaches our storm sewer system. Here’s a how-to manual to help homeowners build a rain garden.

If your schoolchildren or neighborhood are seeking a community project, we can set you up for a onetime project that will make a lasting difference. Stencil storm drains with warnings about dumping Select a section of riparian corridor for stream or creek cleanup Plant trees along a pond, stream, or creek If you are interested in any of these programs, contact the Planning and Zoning Department at 215-968-3340.

This brochure highlights stormwater management efforts at Brownsburg Park, and elsewhere within the county.

Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Federal Environmental Protection (EPA) agency keep raising the bar for municipal leaders to make stormwater runoff less toxic for our land, wildlife, and recreational opportunities. We work with the Bucks County Conservation District, Pennsylvania’s DEP, Southeast Regional Office, and the EPA to meet guidelines and standards that are updated annually. As a property owner, you can do a lot to reduce the thousands of pounds of pollutants that travel when water moves downstream from your neighborhood. Even the simple bookmark listed below is helpful for adults and even a school project.