Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, Natick has a stormwater program. For more information please visit the What is Stormwater page.

No. Unlike wastewater, which is treated, stormwater goes directly into a community's streams, rivers and lakes. Because stormwater comes in large amounts at unpredictable times, treating it as wastewater would be very expensive. However, there are Best Management Practices (BMPs) that can reduce the impact of stormwater.

Best Management Practices (BMPs) can be defined as practices, schedules of activities, maintenance procedures, and structural or other management decisions that have been found to be the most effective and practical means to prevent or reduce the discharge of pollutants into the environment.

BMPs can be structural including wet and dry detention ponds, bioretension areas, oil or water separators and constructed wetlands. Or they can be non-structural, such as pollution prevention programs and public education.

The residents of Natick can help keep the stormwater clean by doing some of the following:

• Dispose of wastes properly
• Use the minimum amount of chemicals on your yard
• Do not fertilize prior to rain and only use the proper amount
• Keep your car well-maintained

All of these can reduce the amount of pollution that you add to stormwater runoff and our rivers and streams. You can also route the flow from your impervious areas to natural areas on your property to help reduce the quantity of storm water runoff. Or, add rain barrels below your gutters to harvest rain for watering your plants. This will help infiltrate water back into the ground instead of running off into the streams.

Information about what stormwater is can be found on the Natick What is Stormwater webpage.

Stormwater can cause quality and quantity problems. It picks up anything in its path and delivers it to our water resources: streams, rivers and lakes. Pollutants including oil, yard waste, fertilizers, litter and sediment can create stormwater of poor quality that can harm our streams, wetlands and other resources.

Too much stormwater is also harmful. In an area with natural ground cover, grass, trees, etc, only 10% of the rainwater runs directly into the streams. The other 90% is absorbed or evaporates. In urban areas, up to 55% of rainfall can become stormwater runoff. This increased runoff in urban areas can cause flooding, erosion and property damage if not wisely managed.