"I don't live next to the Rouge River, so how do I pollute the river?"

All people living and working in the area pictured on the map below can pollute the Rouge River. This is because all these individuals live or work in the Rouge River Watershed, which is the land area and waterways that drain into the Rouge River.

Isn't industry the big polluter to the Rouge?

No. That's a misconception that many people have. It's true that industry used to be a large polluter, but today industry causes only about 2% of pollution to the river.

How do individuals pollute the river?

Individuals are a major polluter to our area lakes and streams. This pollutant source is called polluted storm water runoff and is the water that runs over the ground during a rainstorm or snowmelt. This storm water picks up pollutants found in fertilizers, pesticides, oil and grease from cars and bacteria from pet wastes. This polluted storm water enters the river directly or through storm drains that lead directly to the river. Because storm water runoff is a major pollutant, a new campaign, Storm Drains Aren't Garbage Cans, has been initiated. One aspect of this campaign (and the reason for this guidebook) is to provide individuals with specific information on how their daily actions can help restore and protect the Rouge River.

Why Should I Help?

Government, industry and individuals need to work together in the restoration process. Individuals are partially responsible for the pollution to the river so we have to be partially responsible for the restoration. In addition, there are other benefits to a restored Rouge River, including:

• Canoeing and fishing along the river;
• Increased wildlife to the area;
• Improved aesthetics;
• Potential rise in property values; and
• A safe place for your children and grandchildren to discover and explore!
• You are an important part of "Repairing The Rouge!"

Individuals and households can take voluntary actions to help prevent pollutants from entering the Rouge. This guidebook contains various examples of voluntary actions individuals can take from household hazardous waste management to composting yard waste to cautious use of lawn fertilizer.

Take a minute.
In just sixty seconds, you can pick up a tip that can help the Rouge River.

Make a change.
Take an idea from the Repair Kit, make a change, then repeat the cycle. You can improve water quality in the Rouge one step at a time, just as long as you keep moving forward.

Spread the word . . . . . .
at home, at work, in school. Plant an idea with a friend and watch your efforts grow.

Do you know where your water goes?

Before getting into what actions you can take to restore the river, it is important to understand where the water goes when it leaves your house and property. For some people this may seem like an easy question, but in the Rouge River Watershed your water goes to various places depending in which community you live. Following is a summary of different scenarios:

Combined sewer system

Some communities collect both storm water and sanitary wastewater in the same sewer. These are called "combined sewers". Sometimes, when it rains, combined sewers do not have enough capacity to carry all the storm water and wastewater to the treatment plant. In these situations, the combined wastewater overflows untreated into a body of water, creating a combined sewer overflow (CSO). In some cases, the water is treated to kill the bacteria found in the sewage, but the other materials (fertilizers, pesticides, motor oil, etc.) will enter the river untreated. Therefore, any water that enters the sewer has the potential to discharge into the river.

Separated sewer system

Some communities collect storm water and sanitary wastewater in different sewers. These are called "separated sewers". Therefore, any polluted water entering your storm drain will reach the river without any treatment.

Septic system with no storm drains

Some households collect wastewater and it enters into the septic tank where it eventually enters the drainfield and allows the soil to treat the waste water. Water running off pavement and lawns outside enters ditches which flow into tributaries of the Rouge River. Therefore, any pollutant that is improperly disposed to your septic system or outside could contaminate both the soil and the river. For further description and tips for septic system maintenance, see septic system maintenance section in this guidebook.

Riparian owners

Property adjacent to the Rouge River or its tributaries is in need of special attention. Not only can storm water enter the river from the above mentioned sewer systems, but it can also enter the river directly as overland flow. Therefore, any chemicals, fertilizers, etc. that is put on your lawn or garden has the potential to runoff directly into the river.

• Storm Drains Aren't Garbage Cans (PDF)

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Please address all comments and suggestions about the contents of this Web page to rougeweb@co.wayne.mi.us.

The Rouge River National Wet Weather Demonstration Project is funded, in part, by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Grants #XP995743-01, -02, -03, -04, -05, -06, -08 and C-264000-01.