Fargo stormwater official urges residents to keep drains clear to protect Red River drinking water

Peggy Amzwa, who identified herself as an employee of the City of Fargo stormwater division working on erosion and sediment control, told residents that stormwater runoff in Fargo flows directly into the Red River and is not treated.

"All of the water from storms or from rain events in Fargo goes down the storm drains ... and then it flows directly to the Red River," Amzwa said. "Our stormwater is not treated in any way." She described the practical limits of municipal filtration and said community action is the best protection against debris entering the system.

Amzwa cautioned that spring snowmelt creates the largest surge of water entering drains, picking up sediment that has accumulated on parking lots, curbs and streets. "Spring melt is one of the times where we get the biggest rush of water ... and it's collected lots of sediment over that time," she said, adding that sediment can make the river shallower and spur overgrowth driven by chemical runoff from lawns and road salt.

As a practical step, Amzwa asked neighbors to locate storm drains in their areas — typically at corners or mid-block — and work together to keep them clear of leaves, trash and other debris. She listed common pollutants that enter the system and urged residents to avoid dumping yard waste, salt, trash and cigarette butts into storm drains.

Amzwa highlighted the downstream consequences of local runoff, noting that the Red River runs north to Canada, then to Lake Winnipeg, and that Fargo draws drinking water from the river. "So we wanna keep it as clean as we can," she said.

She closed with a concise guidance message to residents: "only rain down the drain." The remarks were informational and focused on individual and neighborhood actions; no formal city action, motion or vote was announced during the presentation.