Why doesn't the city build a stormwater treatment facility?
Because of the variation in rainfall amounts and runoff volume, a stormwater treatment plant is economically infeasible. Such a facility would be extremely costly to build and maintain. Even if a stormwater treatment plant existed in Manhattan, the large amount of stormwater runoff from rainstorms would easily overtax the system.

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1. Isn't stormwater runoff natural and harmless because it only consists of rainwater?
2. Are sewers and storm drains the same thing?
3. What solutions exist to solve stormwater problems?
4. What kinds of pollutants are found in the storm drain system?
5. What is NPDES?
6. Why doesn't the city build a stormwater treatment facility?
7. What is the City of Manhattan doing about illegal dumping into storm drains?
8. I have seen markers on storm drains. What do they mean?
9. Is it OK to wash my car in my driveway?
10. Is it OK to wash or sweep leaves, grass, soil and/or other natural elements down the storm drain?
11. Is it OK to wash out my paintbrushes or similar items in the gutter?
12. Is it OK to leave pet waste on the ground?
13. Why should I care about what goes down the storm drain?
14. What can I do to make a difference?
15. What happens if I see someone dumping trash, oil, etc., into a storm drain?