City of Bowling Green, Kentucky

A sewer system and a storm drain system are not the same. These two systems are completely different. The water that goes down a sink or toilet in you home or business flows to a wastewater treatment plant where it is treated and filtered. Water that flows down driveways and streets and into a gutter goes into a storm drain which flows directly to a lake, river or the ocean. This water may pick up pollutants along the way which are never treated. Less than 1% of the water on the earth can actually be used by human beings. Storm drains do not remove pollutants and were designed for the specific purpose of draining water from sidewalks and streets. Anything you place in storm drains goes directly into a lake or stream.