Waukesha County, together with the Village of Sussex, launched the Adopt A Drain program in 2022 in an effort to reduce pollutants that flow into local waters affecting the quality of our lakes and rivers.

Volunteers who adopt a storm drain remove dirt and debris build up from the storm drain surfaces twice a month in their neighborhood and report their work. Volunteers are provided a storm drain marker and safety vest to wear while cleaning the drain area. After cleaning, volunteers report into the database the amount and types of materials they removed. This information is used to identify and help fix issues at the source of the debris, optimize cleaning efforts, and prevent pollutants from entering our storm system and affecting our waters.

Learn more about the program and how to volunteer at waukeshacounty.gov/AdoptADrain

When mowing your lawn, please do not leave grass clippings in the street. This deposits fertilizers into the storm drains which gets into our streams and degrades the natural habitat.

Grass clippings also clog storm drains and can contribute to local flooding.

Fertilizers contain nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen and potash) which feed plants. The nutrients, especially phosphorus, feed the plants that grow in lakes. When you fertilize your lawn it is important to know exactly what the nutrient needs of your lawn are. If excessive amounts of fertilizer are applied you are fertilizing the aquatic plants in lakes and streams near your community.

If you feel that you must fertilize consider using non-phosphorus. Studies have shown that lawns rarely need phosphorus.

If it is necessary to fertilize to maintain a ground cover in order to prevent erosion try using small amounts of nitrogen fertilizer. The idea is to have the grass use the nitrogen so it will remain vigorous and minimize the amount of undissolved fertilizer on the lawn surface capable of washing into the lake.

Why are Soil Tests Important?
The most economic and ecologically sound method of knowing if your lawn needs fertilization is to have a soil test run. A soil test will tell you if you need to fertilize, what type of fertilizer to use and the amount your lawn needs. This test can save you money and time. More importantly, it will keep fertilizer out of lakes and streams where they simply add to excess aquatic plants and algae. These aquatic plants and algae reduce the recreational and aesthetic values of our lakes and streams. For more information on how and where to bring your soil sample contact the Waukesha County Extension Office by calling (262) 5448-7770. They will send you instructions and methods for sampling lawns. Extension agents can also assist you in interpreting the results of the tests.

How Much Fertilizer Should I Buy?
The soil test will tell you how much fertilizer of a certain type to buy per square foot of lawn. This rate multiplied by the number of square feet you plan on fertilizing will tell you how much to buy. Buy only as much as you need.

When and How to Apply Fertilizer
The best time to apply fertilizer is in the spring and early fall when grasses are actively growing. Use a spreader that can be calibrated. A calibrated spreader will ensure uniform distribution of fertilizer and helps prevent over use. Fertilizer should not be applied when the grass is wet and during times of high winds an/or heavy rains.

What do the Numbers on the Bag of Fertilizer Mean?
The numbers on a bag of fertilizer refer to the percentages of plant nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash in the material. In a 100 pound bag of 5-10-10 mixture for instance, there would be 5 percent or 5 pounds of nitrogen, 10 percent or 10 pounds of phosphorus as P2O5, and 10 percent or 10 pounds of potash (K2O).

What to do with Spilled Fertilizer
Sweep up any fertilizer you may spill on hard surfaces. Any fertilizer left on blacktop or concrete will be carried, with the first rainfall, into lakes or streams.

When to Water
Water the lawn after applying the fertilizer just enough to wash the fertilizer off the grass leaves and into the soil in order to eliminate any possible danger of salt burn and to make sure the fertilizer gets into the soil where it’s needed.

Where Can You Obtain Phosphorus-Free Fertilizer?
Check with your local nurseries for their sources. Farmer’s cooperatives can blend whatever you would like, but may require that you purchase in bulk. Work with neighboring property owners or your county extension agent to find a cooperative that can handle your request. Ordering the fertilizer as a lake association or district should also be considered.

Source:
Lake Management Program
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
University of Wisconsin-Extension , UWSP

Proper disposal of prescription drugs is critical to the health of our water supply and our streams and lakes. It is also a critical part of keeping our community safe and preventing pharmaceutical controlled substance abuse.

• DO properly dispose of unused prescription drugs at the Sussex Public Safety Building or at a Prescription Drug Take Back Event.

• DO NOT throw unused prescription drugs in the garbage. These medications can leach into the groundwater if landfilled.

• DO NOT flush unused prescription drugs down the toilet. Public waste treatment plants and private on-site sewerage system do not have the capability of filtering pharmaceuticals from the waste stream.

Local research has shown that prescription drugs are contaminating Lake Michigan and other water bodies. Let’s keep these drugs out of our water supply and our surface waters.

Rain gardens are small, shallow areas filled with beautiful native plants that help reduce the amount of polluted runoff containing fertilizers, pesticides, oils and other contaminates that enter Wisconsin’s streams and lakes. They are an inexpensive and easy-to-maintain way for you to help improve our environment and will attract birds and butterflies to your yard.

Learn how to make your own rain garden.

• Stormwater Management Master Plan
• MS-4 Annual Report
• WPDES Permit (Upper Fox River Watershed Group)

While true algae are an important part of the aquatic food chain, so called “blue-green” algae, which are actually photosynthetic bacteria, are largely inedible to other aquatic organisms and as a result, can proliferate and form blooms in lakes or wetlands with excessive amounts of nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen. Nuisance algae blooms can be especially pronounced in warm water on hot, calm summer days. These blooms may look like blue or green paint and release noxious odors as the algae decomposes. We can't eliminate blue-green algae as they’re an inherent part of the overall algal community in many lakes and wetlands. To control the intensity and frequency of blue-green algal blooms, the best thing to do is reduce the amount of nutrients entering the lake. Lawn fertilizer, runoff from cities, cultivated farm fields, feedlots, construction sites and many other sources all contribute phosphorus to our lakes and wetlands. The response to reducing nutrient levels will not be immediate, but it is the best long-term solution.