Help Protect Our Waters

Your assistance is requested to help protect our waters by reporting illicit discharges. Some examples are: blowing leaves and grass onto the street or washing spilled fertilizer into the street. These actions degrade water quality in ponds and streams and is illegal.

Examples of Illicit Discharges:

• Heavy Metals
• Gas, Oil and Grease
• Paints and Solvents
• Pesticides and Herbicides
• Grass clippings
• Leaves
• Soap from washing vehicles on the driveway
• Snow/salt
• Laundry waste water
• Pet waste
• Soil from excavations or unpaved driveways

Grass, leaves and pet waste washed into lakes, rivers and streams become a major source of phosphorus, and the nutrient that propels algae blooms in the summer.

Properly dispose of old or unwanted lawn and household chemicals at the Anoka County, "Household Hazardous Waste Facility" which is located at 3230-101st Avenue NE in Blaine. This service is free and available to all Anoka County residents. Bring your identification to establish proof of residency. 

If you see your neighbor putting grass or leaves in the street, talk to them calmly and remind them it is illegal to do so, it causes pollution in our waters. The Anoka County compost site accepts grass clippings/leaves, or you may consider mulching your grass, this will add natural fertilizer to the soil. Find more information at: the Anoka County webpage about household waste or this Anoka County page on Compost sites.

If you see anyone spilling, dumping or disposing materials onto the street, into a storm drain, or into a ditch report it immediately to the Engineering Department at 763-433-9839 or call 911 for emergencies. The fire department handles all emergency response calls for contamination and spills involving motor vehicle crashes or broken pipelines.