Water quality protection is being encouraged by the Nevada Department of Transportation, which urged this week citizens prevent and report illicit drainage.
The department (NDOT) encouraged such protection particularly regarding such illicit drainage and discharge onto state roads or transportation facilities, issuing a release on Monday. Illicit discharge is anything entering a roadway drainage system that isn’t natural stormwater, according to NDOT.
“We have stormwater protection procedures during road construction and maintenance,” said Rudy Malfabon, NDOT director, “and we’ve invested millions in projects to help preserve the clarity of stormwater crossing our roadways. We want to continue to work with the public to help ensure that waterways and stormwater crossing state road facilities is protected.”
Steve Cooke, NDOT environmental division chief, said it’s important to remember in much of the state any water reaching a storm drain directly enters the water system or natural environment with no filtration.
“We want to educate and work side by side with community members to keep that water as clean as possible,” said Cooke. “It’s about helping to preserve water quality for everyone in Nevada.”
Examples of troublesome discharge include pesticides, construction dirt or materials, as well as materials from neighboring properties and roadway runoff containing fertilizers, vehicle oil or chemicals. Reports on this problem may be made by telephoning (775) 888-7013, according to NDOT. It also listed the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection’s hotline to call about pollutant spills affecting waterways, which is 1-888-331-6337.
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