Clean water is important for the health of our community, and the Division of Water Quality (DWQ) needs you to help look out for and report pollution.
Our waterways can be polluted by contaminants dumped directly into the stream. In Lexington, however, most of the pollutants wash in from parking lots, roads, yards and other surfaces. Water that washes into storm drains flows, untreated, to our local creeks. Litter, pet waste and chemicals carried by water into the drains ends up in our waterways.
Common pollutants include motor oil, grease, antifreeze, paint and cleaners. DWQ staff will investigate and clean up these pollutants when they are reported.
If you see pollution in a creek or notice a spill that may wash into a storm drain, please report it to LexCall by calling 311 or (859) 425-2255. You may also make a water quality report using LexCall’s online form at www.LexingtonKY.gov/LexCall or by using the LexCall app for iPhone and Android.
When reporting potential pollution, give as many details as possible. Include information such as:
- Closest street address; if unknown, include other identifiers such as the nearest intersection and/or a nearby landmark
- Description of the contaminant - color, odor, clear or cloudy
- Description of the area - stains on the pavement, indicators about the source of pollution
- Date and time you observed the pollutant
- Information on weather – recent rain or currently raining
With your help, we can keep Lexington’s creeks clean and healthy!
Photo available on Google Drive
I called the police last year to a accidental dump of motor oil back after a storm blew through town. There was a fly by night crew with chainsaws there cutting up a tree and the spilled used motor oil all over the parking lot every evident to the officer when he arrived but he proceeded to tell me there was nothing he could do. His hands were tied.
ReplyDeleteThis offense happened on my 26th at 441 Kingswood. It was just about dark when the officer arrived but with the flash light and the rainbow across the water on the parking lot he could see where the spill occurred.
When I told him the whole thing was on video from the tenets that lived at the property he still stated that his hands were tied and he did not know who would be responsible for pressing charges or making sure it was cleaned up.
Wish I kept the young officers name, but the city of lexington may care say they care but the officers do not seem to know if they should care or how to enforce this.
May 26th 2019 is what should have been said.
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