Keeping Our Waterways Clean

Help Clean up Village Streams, Byram River, & Long Island Sound

Simple Steps That Residents and Businesses Can Take

Get Involved

Volunteers are needed to assist with waterway and roadside cleanup efforts, beautification projects, storm drain stenciling and neighborhood cleanups. Put together a group of friends, plan to meet over coffee and help keep trash and other pollutants out of our waters. Contact the Village's Stormwater Management Coordinator, Keith Rang at 914-939-2200 for details.

Dispose of Household Products Carefully

Many products under the sink or in the garage can harm water quality. Never pour paints, preservatives, brush cleaners and solvents down the drain. Sewers or septic tanks do not treat these materials and they can enter waterways untreated. Buy a product with the least amount of toxic materials. Read labels carefully for disposal instructions. Learn about Westchester County's household hazardous waste disposal program. For information call 914-813-5425 or log onto the County website.

Care for Your Lawn Cautiously

Lawns with trees and shrubs prevent erosion, soak up nutrients before they run off into waterways, and improve soil by adding organic materials. Plant the right grass by testing the soil annually. Use the proper fertilizer, and do not over-fertilize, Improper fertilizing can lead to disease, poor root growth and weed problems. Water your lawn and shrubs only when its dry by soaking the soil thoroughly. If you have a lawn service, make sure it is customized to your needs.

Illicit Discharge Detection & Elimination

Items that find their way into waterways and storm drains, either by accident or deliberately, decrease water quality and create unsightly conditions. Carelessly discarded trash, illegal connections of wastewater and other products, household chemicals, oil, and nutrients from over-fertilization of lawns can be washed into drains when it rains and eventually end up in Long Island Sound. In 2006, the Village will begin a program to locate and identify discharges from illegal connections which decrease water quality and take enforcement action where appropriate. If you think your home or business may have an illegal connection to the storm drain, contact the Village Building Department at 914-939-5203 to learn how to correct the condition.

For further information on Village efforts, or to volunteer to assist the Village, contact the Village Manager 914-939-2200.