Stormwater Violation

An illicit discharge is anything that drains to a storm drain or directly to a river, stream, etc. that is not stormwater. The wastewater and sewage that drains from inside your house is treated and cleaned before it enters surface waters, but the storm drains in the street outside your home flow directly to surface waters without any treatment. It is therefore very important that no one dump waste of any kind onto street surfaces, drainage pipes and ditches, or into storm drains - they are only for rainwater.  An illicit discharge can be an illegal pipe draining directly to a river, a failing onsite septic system, or even a spill that goes into a storm drain. As a community member, you play a large role in identifying and reducing illicit discharges in your community. 

What can you do about illicit discharges?

You can help keep our lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, and groundwater clean by applying the following tips:

• Sweep it - Do you have extra fertilizer, grass clippings, or dirt in your driveway or sidewalk? Sweep it back onto your lawn. Hosing your driveway or sidewalk sends these pollutants into storm drains and ditches that can lead directly to our lakes and rivers.
• Keep it clean - Whether in the street or in your yard, remember to keep leaves, grass clippings, trash, and fertilizers away from storm drains.
• Only rain in the drain - Never dump motor oil, chemicals, pet waste, dirty or soapy water, or anything else down a storm drain. All these materials can pollute our lakes and rivers.
• Scoop the poop - Clean up after your pet to reduce pet waste traveling to local waterways.
• Report it - If you see someone dumping anything onto street surfaces, into storm drains, or into any other device built to contain rainfall or runoff in the town of Gorham, please report it immediately by filling out and submitting the form below. To report an emergency, call County Dispatch at 892-2525.