Mount Pleasant, SC (December 3, 2004) – The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), a part of the Clean Water Act and an unfunded mandate imposed on municipalities across the nation by the federal government, is making an impact in Mount Pleasant as the Town's public education and outreach efforts begin. “The NPDES is a comprehensive mandate targeting over 10,000 communities nationwide including Mount Pleasant,” said NPDES Manager Hillary Repik. “We are facing the new mandate head on. We have a plan and we are working on implementing activities for six specific program areas as required by the regulations.”

Public education and public outreach are the first two program areas followed by illicit discharge, construction site stormwater runoff, post construction stormwater management and pollution prevention and housekeeping for municipal operations. The Town will be developing and implementing "Best Management Practices (BMPs)" that will address different types of pollution entering our waterways through storm drainage systems. These "BMPs" will involve system wide and town wide education, inspections, and enforcement activities designed to combat local pollution problems.

“We plan to target particular culprits in run off pollution and share this information with our public,” said Repik. “As stormwater flows over driveways, parking lots, lawns and sidewalks, it picks up debris and chemicals, dirt and other pollutants. Stormwater flows into a drainage system and then to a lake, river, creek, or wetland – not to a treatment plant. Anything entering a storm sewer system is discharged untreated into the water bodies surrounding Mount Pleasant. Polluted water from our drainage systems is now considered the greatest threat to our waterways.”

Repik stated that by practicing healthy household habits, we can all contribute to healthier waterways. This month, the Stormwater Manager has selected the topic of motor vehicles and offers the following tips:

1. Use a commercial car wash or wash your car on the lawn to minimize the amount of chemicals from flowing in the storm drain

2. Check your car, boat, motorcycle and other machinery for leaks and spills. Make repairs as soon as possible. Clean spilled fluids with kitty litter and dispose properly of soiled material

3. Recycle used oil and other automotive fluids at participating services stations or designed centers. Do not place used oil in the outgoing trash. Because one gallon of oil can contaminate one million gallons of water, used oil should never be poured on the ground or down the storm drain. Recycle your used oil at the Mount Pleasant Oil Recycling Center, 1155 Six Mile Road, Mount Pleasant. The center is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. You may dispose up to five gallons per visit of used motor oil and oil/gas mixtures. This oil is collected by Santee Cooper and recycled as a fuel source at their power generating facility. Residents needing to dispose of any other chemicals should contact Charleston County Recycling at 720-7111 for specific drop off locations.

Thank you to all of the Mount Pleasant Residents who utilized our new oil recycling center!" said Repik. “We provided 1,785 gallons of oil for recycling in 2003. Santee Cooper collects and uses the oil as an alternative power source at no charge to the Town!”

For additional information on motor vehicles runoff pollution, visit our website at www.townofmountpleasant.com.