What is Brazos Clean Water?

Brazos Clean Water is a program created by the Brazos Basin Stormwater Education Committee made up of representatives from Brazos County, City of Bryan, City of College Station, Texas A&M University, and Texas Department of Transportation. The purpose of this committee is to facilitate collaboration among local MS4s and maximize effectiveness of local stormwater education efforts in the Brazos region.

What is stormwater runoff? Storm Water Program Goals
Why is stormwater runoff a problem? Household Hazardous Waste
How is stormwater regulated? Used Motor Oil & Filter Recycling
B/CS Stormwater Design Standards & Details Stormwater Hotlines, Report Illicit Discharges

 

Fun for Kids

Urban Water Cycle
** Click above to watch a video about the urban water cycle!**
 

Water Conservation & Storm Water

↑  What is stormwater runoff?

Stormwater runoff occurs when precipitation from rain or snowmelt flows over the ground. Impervious surfaces like driveways, sidewalks, and streets prevent stormwater runoff from naturally soaking into the ground. watch video

↑  Why is stormwater runoff a problem?

Stormwater can pick up debris, chemicals, dirt, and other pollutants and flow into a storm sewer system or directly to a lake, stream, river, wetland, or coastal water. Anything that enters a storm sewer system is discharged untreated into the waterbodies we use for swimming, fishing and providing drinking water. download the poster

↑  How is stormwater regulated?

The federal Clean Water Act and the Texas Water Code govern the prevention of water pollution across the state. Pursuant to rules adopted by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), certain cities must obtain a permit for stormwater discharge.

Under TCEQ rules, most large cities were required to obtain an individual stormwater permit from the TCEQ beginning several years ago. For many smaller cities, such as Bryan, the TCEQ on August 8, 2007, adopted what is known as a “general permit” for small municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) discharges. Under the general permit, those cities must, among other things, submit certain information to the TCEQ regarding their storm sewer systems and adopt a program for preventing pollutants in the system’s stormwater discharge.

↑  Storm Water Program Goals

↑  B/CS Stormwater Design Standards and Details

For engineering guidelines, technical specifications, and standard details for construction for the Cities of Bryan and College Station, visit www.bcsunited.net.

↑  Household Hazardous Waste

The Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection is sponsored by BVSWMA in partnership with the cities of Bryan and College Station. It is partially funded by a grant from the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission and the Brazos Valley Council of Governments. The collection is held twice a year at the Brazos Center, usually in the spring and fall. The collection is open to the public and is free to households. Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generators (CESQG) may dispose of their hazardous waste at a reduced cost by setting up an account with the HHW contractor prior to the event. Residents from Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Leon, Madison, Robertson, and Washington counties may dispose of their hazardous household wastes free of charge. The program offers residents a safe, economical way to dispose of hazardous wastes. These include items that are flammable, reactive, corrosive, or toxic. Solvents, pesticides, caustic cleaners, used oil, and batteries are examples of different types of household hazardous waste that will be accepted. Tires, medical waste, household garbage, ammunitions, and explosives are never accepted.

The City of Bryan provides employees for event activities, a representative for organizational and steering committee meetings, removal magnetic signs for refuse vehicles advertising the collection, recycling containers, and coordinates the city CESQG accounts.

The City of College Station provides employees for event activities, a representative for organizational and steering committee meetings, removable magnetic signs for refuse vehicles advertising the collection, traffic control, cones, barricades, roll-off containers, transportation of non-hazardous waste, site safety procedures, site safety equipment, and coordinates the city CESQG accounts.

↑  Used Motor Oil & Filter Recycling

Used motor oil and filters can be taken to be recycled at the Used Oil and Filter Recycling Center located at the City of College Station Public Services Center at 2613 Texas Avenue South (behind the Police Department) or at the City of Bryan Do-It-Yourself Oil Center located at 1111 Waco Street. Recycling is now the only proper and legal method of disposal for used motor oil and filters. These items are banned from the landfill, so you can't place them in the garbage cart or dumpster. There are also many local businesses that will accept used oil and filters from citizens. Some of them charge a small fee to accept the filters. For more information on the nearest recycling drop-off for used oil and filters, please call City of College Station Public Works / Recycling at (979) 764-6229 or the City of Bryan Public Works Call Center at (979) 209-5900. For further information, see the "Don't Dump It!" brochure. You may also email questions.

↑  Stormwater Hotlines, Report Illicit Discharges

Below, each agency’s hotline phone number is provided to report Illicit Discharges, etc: