How can I help prevent stormwater runoff pollution at home?
There are a lot of ways to help mitigate the negative impacts of stormwater at your home. Visit the Best Management Practices page to find out some specific actions you can take. For more information about prevention and and cleanups happening in your area, go to Keep Anderson County Beautiful to stay up to date.
Where can I learn how to install my own rain garden?
There are many websites available that can help guide in designing your own rain garden. For a more hands-on approach, visit Tennessee Smart Yards to find more information on upcoming workshops and tips for installing a rain garden of your own!
What can the Healthy Waters Program do for my group?
To have the Healthy Waters Program come visit your school or group, fill out the contact form below.
How do I stay updated on what the Healthy Waters Program is doing in my community?
To stay up to date with all of the events and activities that the Healthy Waters Program puts on and participates in, follow the City of Oak Ridge Government @CityofOakRidge or email us to learn more!
What do I do if I see oil spills in the street near my house?
The best thing to do is to scatter kitty litter on the spill, sweep it up and bring it to the local hazardous waste facility. If you witness a large spill or a spill you are unsure of, please call the Police Dispatcher at (865) 425-4399 to report the spill.
I have waste that I am not sure how to properly dispose of. Where do I find this information?
Household chemicals require special disposal and are classified as hazardous waste. Medications also fall under this category and cannot be disposed of in your household trash.
- For medication disposal click here.
- For hazardous waste information click here.
- For other solid waste questions click here.
What is Illicit Discharge?
Illicit Discharge is defined by the EPA as “…any discharge to an MS4 that is not composed entirely of stormwater…”. Some examples of Illicit Discharges are: sanitary wastewater, effluent from septic tanks, car wash wastewater, improper oil or other chemical disposal, laundry wastewaters, and spills from roadway accidents. So why should you care? Illicit Discharge leads to high levels of pollutants in our waterways that can degrade water quality, threaten wildlife and pose a risk for human health.
What can I do if I see Illicit Discharge or pollution happening?
Act fast! Report pollution by calling (865) 425-3496, emailing is at email@example.com, or by clicking here.
Please contact us immediately if you notice:
- Foam, bubbles or any discoloration in a ditch or waterway
- Wastewater being pumped to a waterway or stormdrain
- Oil, fluid, or chemical spills on the street and/or heading to a stormdrain or waterway
- A strange odor coming from a stormdrain or waterway
- Sediment running off of a construction site