The treatment of stormwater is key to the future restoration of Sarasota Bay.

Some of the water from the land reaches the Bay through the ground, but most of it is carried by creeks and streams via stormwater run-off. When rainfall washes across the watershed, it collects the debris and residue of our daily lives and becomes stormwater run-off.

Stormwater run-off is the number-one pollution concern to the Sarasota Bay Estuary. The amount of stormwater reaching the Bay increases as the area’s population grows.  Development practices that harden and compact surfaces have caused a 50 percent increase in stormwater run-off into the Bay.

                                            STORM DRAINS ARE NOT CONNECTED TO THE SEWER SYSTEM

Stormwater Systems in Your Neighborhood
Without a stormwater system, the stormwater runoff usually flows into the nearest water body without treatment. The runoff carries pollutants such as litter, motor oil, gasoline, fertilizers, pesticides, pet wastes, sediments and anything else that can float, dissolve or be swept away by moving water. Click here to download the PDF file.