December 2025

Welcome to the Dec. 2025 edition of MS4 Monthly Messages, a series highlighting tips and tricks from Monroeville Stormwater Management to keep our community and its environment happy, healthy and safe.

This month, we have already seen winter weather create slippery conditions on our local roads and sidewalks.

While the best way to clear snow and ice is with a shovel, many people turn to deicing agents, like salts and sand, to get the job done. These chemicals melt ice and snow by depressing the freezing point of water, creating a liquid or semi-liquid slush on paved surfaces.

There are several types of deicers on the market that each provide different levels of effectiveness at different temperatures, chemical composition and price point.

Most deicing agents are toxic chemicals and can pose a serious risk to our stormwater management infrastructure, ground water and plant and animal life. They can lower oxygen levels in water, cloud bodies of water, negatively alter soil composition and degrade surfaces.

Types of Deicers

• Sodium Chloride (Rock Salt)
  • Cheapest and most common option
  • Provides adequate performance between 32̊ and 22̊ F
  • It is corrosive to steel and harmful to vegetation and water
• Calcium or Magnesium Chloride
  • Costs more than rock salt
  • More effective at lower temperatures
  • Less corrosive and harmful than rock salt
• Potassium Chloride
  • Most costly salt-based option
  • Effective at low temperatures
  • Lower toxic chloride content than other options
  • Least corrosive and harmful salt
• Acetates
  • Can be made up of Sodium, Potassium or Calcium/Magnesium
  • Very effective at low temperatures
  • Contains no toxic chlorides
  • Noncorrosive, and considered environmentally friendly

Sand is also used as a deicing agent, although it has no ice melting capabilities. It creates traction for vehicles and pedestrians, but can also clog catch basins and create dust.

How To Avoid Deicing Dangers

• Consider using only the most effective type of deicer for the corresponding temperatures.
• Apply deicers before a significant amount of snow and ice accumulate.
• Only use the amount you need in specific areas. This is often 1 handful per square yard.
• Store deicing agents in a dry and covered place to avoid leakage and runoff.

Never wash unused deicers down a storm drain.

November 2025

One of the most common threats to our stormwater management system is illicit discharges.

Illicit Discharges refer to any substance other than water that enters our storm drains through either accidental leakage or intentional dumping.

When it rains or snows, the excess water that isn’t absorbed into the ground enter the stormwater system. Storm drains then carry these toxic substances untreated to our local streams, lakes and rivers.

Common Illicit Discharges

• Oil and grease leaked from cars
• Car washing soaps and chemicals
• Lawn fertilizers and pesticides
• Grass, leaves and other lawn trimmings or debris
• Litter and trash, like cigarette butts
• Pet Waste

Pet waste, lawn trimmings and other organic materials contain excess nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen.

These nutrients can spawn large algae blooms in our waterways, leading to decreased water quality and public health concerns.

Ways To Prevent Illicit Discharges

Although some illicit discharges are unavoidable, there are ways to prevent or lessen the effects they have on our environment.

• If you change your own oil, recycle the old oil at an auto parts store or other local recycling center.
• NEVER dump motor oils or grease onto the ground or into a storm drain.
• Use commercial car washes. These businesses often recycle water or properly dispose of it to be treated.
• If you wash your car at home, wash it in the grass instead of the driveway to avoid runoff into the storm drain.
• Bag or compost leaves and grass trimmings.
• Water and fertilize your lawn efficiently.
• Only use the exact amount of water needed to keep your lawn healthy.
• For fertilizers, follow manufacturer recommendations on the proper amount. Be sure to clean up any excess or overspray.

It is also important to keep an eye out for any illicit discharges near our storm drains or in our waterways. If you see suspicious characteristics like an oil sheen, suds, discoloration or odor, you can report it to Monroeville’s MS4 team.

October 2025

Fall is officially here, which means many of us will soon see leaves taking over our lawns.

Fall leaves can create slippery conditions on roads and clog storm sewers. This could lead to flooding, property damage and harm to water quality and aquatic life.

There are several methods to effectively manage fall leaves before they create a hazard. 

Leave 'Em

• Leaving leaves undisturbed over the fall and winter creates a natural mulch, releasing vital nutrients into the soil.
• This mulch helps suppress weeds, retain soil moisture and support lawn and garden growth.

Mulch 'Em

• Another method of managing leaves is mowing them into your lawn.
• Research has shown shredded leaves release phosphorus and nitrogen into the soil, improving the health of your grass.
• Set your mower deck to a 4-inch height, then mow around once a week.

Compost 'Em

• You can move leaves to a flower bed or other planting area to decompose.
• This creates a beneficial compost full of nutrients.
• The leaves can also be moved to another designated area on your property to be used as fertilizer in the spring.

Bag 'Em

• Bagging leaves is another effective option.
• You can collect leaves in biodegradable paper bags from a home improvement store.
• These bags will then be collected at the curb by the Municipality on your regular trash day, between Oct. 6 and Nov. 21, for no extra charge.
• The collected leaves are shredded and made into a mulch that is free to residents year-round.

Whichever method you choose, it is important to NEVER put leaves into the road or into a storm drain.

September 2025

One of the most common pollutants threatening public health in Monroeville is dog waste.

There are nearly 5,000 dogs in Monroeville. Based on data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, it is estimated that the Municipality's dog owners leave at least 640,575 pounds of feces on the ground each year.

Dog Waste Is Dangerous To Your Health

• The EPA lists dog waste in the same category of pollutant as toxins like herbicides, insecticides and grease.
• Dog waste can contain billions of bacteria and parasites, which cause severe illness in humans.
• Rain, snowmelt and improper disposal can cause waste to seep into the soil, or enter streams and stormwater drains. This can contaminate drinking water and recreational waterways.

 Threat To Lawns and Infrastructure

• Dog waste is highly acidic and does not act as a good fertilizer. It can burn and kill grass.
• It can also act as a food source for rats, creating a health hazard and public nuisance.
• Bagged dog waste has repeatedly caused damage to Monroeville's storm sewers and pipe infrastructure.
• Clogged pipes can cause oversaturation of the soil, leading to flooding and landslides.
• Making repairs can be extremely costly for homeowners and taxpayers.

What Should You Do?

• Pick up after your dog, every time and everywhere. 
• Properly tie off the bag and dispose of it in the trash.
• Never dispose of waste in a storm sewer inlet or grate.