Educational Outreach for Pollution Control
The Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) educates and improves public awareness about the importance of stormwater management for reducing pollution entering Maryland waters. See the information below about ways you can help reduce or prevent pollution entering local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay.
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Proper Erosion and Sediment Control
Erosion occurs when soil, also known as ‘sediment’, is removed by water or wind and then settles somewhere new. When erosion occurs, the eroded soil can pollute nearby streams and the Chesapeake Bay. The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) offers a
Responsible Personnel Certification Course to individuals interested in learning about Maryland’s erosion and sediment control program and how it protects local water resources and the Chesapeake Bay.
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Proper Disposal of Vehicle Fluids
Used motor oil, diesel fuel, kerosene, transmission fluid and hydraulic oil can be properly disposed for FREE at locations across Maryland. These substances contain toxins that can harm humans and the environment.
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Storm Drain Stenciling
Storm drains often lead directly to our local waters and the Chesapeake Bay without any further treatment or filtering. Writing "Drains Directly to Local Stream and the Bay" on storm drains in your area can remind or inform neighbors of this fact. Check with your local city or county government for prior authorization and any applicable laws, ordinance or other restrictions for your area before performing any storm drain stenciling or writing/painting on storm drains you do not personally own.
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Stop Roadside Dumping!
Dumping waste or other materials along the side of the road is illegal and harmful to the environment. It can lead to hazardous conditions for Maryland commuters. It also results in avoidable clean-up costs for Maryland taxpayers and unattractive roadways. See links below for more information and how you can report illegal dumping along SHA roadways.
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Proper Litter and Trash Disposal
Litter collection along SHA roadways costs millions of Maryland taxpayer dollars each year. This money would otherwise be spent by SHA to provide even better services to Maryland residents and commuters, such as roadway improvements and cleaner water draining to the Chesapeake Bay. Please cover materials when transporting them in open-air vehicles (e.g., truck beds, trailers) and cover your trash and recycling containers to reduce the amount of trash that ends up in local streams and the Bay each year. The SHA
Sponsor-A-Highway and
Adopt-A-Highway programs are a great way for community members and businesses to contribute if they want to take a more active role in reducing trash in the Bay.
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Decrease Vehicle Idling
The term ‘idling’ refers to leaving a vehicle engine running while not moving and typically occurs in public places such as schools, malls, restaurants and other places where people congregate. In Maryland, there are ‘anti-idling’ laws that regulate time limits for idling vehicles. The MDE prohibits passenger vehicles from idling for more than five consecutive minutes and commercial vehicles are not allowed to idle for more than 30 minutes in any 60-minute period. These time limits are enforced by environmental agencies, police and public reporting to promote better air quality and protect public health. Violating these limits can result in fines and penalties for drivers and vehicle owners.
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Car Care and Washing
Performing regular car maintenance, including tune-ups, oil changes, air filter maintenance and proper tire inflation, reduces gas consumption and pollutes less. Car washing can waste water and negatively impact the quality of water going to the Chesapeake Bay but you can reduce these impacts if you follow the best practices detailed in the link below.
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Taking Better Care of Your Yard
A lot of pollution can actually start right in your yard. Products like weed killers, bug sprays, and fertilizers can harm the environment if they’re used too much or not used the right way. These chemicals can wash into local streams, Maryland rivers and the Chesapeake Bay and cause problems like algae growth and harming fish. To prevent this, always follow the directions on the label of any weed killer, bug sprays or fertilizers you use and avoid using these products right before it rains.
The same idea applies in winter. Using too much ice melt or snow treatment chemicals can also damage the environment. Use only what you need, focus on areas where people walk the most and shovel or plow snow early and often to reduce how much chemical treatment is needed. One 12-ounce coffee mug of salt is generally considered enough treatment for a 20-foot driveway.
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Saving Water
Saving water is an important way communities can take care of the environment. When we use less water and keep extra water out of storm drains, it prevents the system from getting overloaded. Instead of letting rainwater go straight into drains, we can reuse it at home or let it soak into the ground naturally. This helps protect your community’s limited water supply, especially when there isn’t much rain or during droughts.
Activities like those shown below reduce water usage:
- rainwater harvesting (e.g., rain barrels, gutters that lead to gardens)
- water efficient landscaping (e.g., native plantings, reduced lawn sizes)
- installing green infrastructure (e.g., rain gardens, green roads, permeable driveways)
- thoughtful home maintenance (e.g., monitoring for leaky pipes/faucets, not overwatering lawns)
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Utilize Alternative Modes of Transportation
Using alternative modes of transportation reduces fuel consumption, air pollution and traffic. To support more regular use of alternative modes of transportation, SHA encourages alternate work schedules and carpooling for employees and establishes High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes and park-and-ride facilities along major roadways. SHA also observes and promotes National Bike to Work Day, National Bike to School Week, and International Walk to School Day to encourage use of alternative modes of transportation and reduce the impacts to Maryland air and water quality from pollution commonly associated with motor vehicles.
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Reducing Impervious Surfaces
Impervious surfaces are hard, man-made materials that prevent water soaking into the ground. Examples include roads, driveways, parking lots, sidewalks, roofs, patios and brick or stone areas. Since these hard surfaces do not let water soak in, rainwater stays on the surface and then flows away. This can lead to problems like erosion, flooding and pollution.
As the water moves across these surfaces, it can pick up things like oil, grease and dirt, which then get carried into storm drains and eventually into local streams, Maryland rivers and the Chesapeake Bay.
If we reduce or remove these impervious surfaces, more rainwater can soak into the ground naturally, which helps prevent flooding, erosion and pollution. One way to do this is by using materials that let water pass through them — like special pavers or gravel — for patios, walkways and driveways around your home.
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Keeping Storm Drains Clear to Prevent Flooding
Storm drains move rainwater from public and private property and carry it into local streams, Maryland rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. When they get blocked by leaves, trash or other debris, water can’t flow properly and flooding can happen.
You can help by keeping leaves and grass clippings away from storm drains and remembering that only rain should go into them.
If a drain is clogged, you can call 311 to report it.
Do not try to fix flooding or clear a clogged storm drain yourself. Do not open or go into a storm drain — it can be very dangerous.
Instead, report the problem and let trained workers handle it safely. Service requests for storm drains on roads maintained by SHA can be submitted through
SHA Customer Service. You can find out which roads SHA maintains by visiting
Know Your Roads.
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Proper Pet Waste Disposal
Pet waste contains bacteria and parasites that can harm humans and the environment. During storms, pet waste washes into storm drains and ends up in streams, in waterways and on public beaches, even leading to beach closures in some cases. By picking up after your pet, you can improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay and local waterways.
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Bay Restoration Documents and Reports
Learn more about efforts to reduce pollution in the Chesapeake Bay.