Because stormwater runoff is generated from dispersed land surfaces—pavements, yards, driveways, and roofs—efforts to control stormwater pollution must consider individual, household, and public behaviors and activities that can generate pollution from these surfaces. These common individual behaviors have the potential to generate stormwater pollution:
- littering
- disposing of trash and recyclables
- disposing of pet-waste
- applying lawn-chemicals
- washing cars,
- changing motor-oil on impervious driveways
- household behaviors like disposing leftover paint and household chemicals
It takes individual behavior change and proper practices to control such pollution. Therefore it is important to make the public sufficiently aware and concerned about the significance of their behavior for stormwater pollution, through information and education, that they change improper behaviors.
The City of Fredericksburg has implemented a Public Outreach program through many partnerships and distributing of media materials such as brochures, flyers and the website. One such partnership is with the Friends of the Rappahannock which has resulted in long and short term projects to educate the community on resource conservation, watershed protection and river stewardship. Others include the coordination between the City of Fredericksburg and Virginia Outdoors Foundation which has protected 4,200 acres of land along the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers.
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