City of Topeka stormwater official urges residents to pick up trash to protect waterways

Aaron Grams, the City of Topeka’s Stormwater Permit Coordinator, said the city’s Stormwater Permit—mandated by the State of Kansas—guides work to keep pollutants out of local streams and urged residents to pick up trash to help.

The permit covers the entire city, Grams said, and his Environmental Field Services Section at Water Pollution Control coordinates with multiple departments to implement measures that reduce pollution from stormwater runoff. "The Stormwater Permit is an important part cuz not just because it's mandated by the State of Kansas, but it also improves water quality," he said.

Grams described routine and preventive practices the city uses: cleaning storm lines, inspecting sanitary lines to prevent leaks, maintaining best management practices (BMPs) and street sweeping to collect trash and pollutants before they wash into storm drains. He listed common stormwater contaminants as "grease or oil or paint ... sediment, excess fertilizer or herbicide," and said these materials can be carried from streets through pipes into local streams and rivers, including the Candace River.

On individual actions, Grams made a direct plea: "One of the biggest things that would help us out and everybody could do it is just picking up their trash. The earth isn't your trash can ... you could just kind of keep it on you or dispose of it elsewhere instead of having to throw it out outside." He added that street sweeping and other maintenance help reduce pollutant loads before discharge.

No formal votes or policy changes were recorded in the transcript. The briefing presented background on the permit’s scope and operational practices and concluded with a call for residents to reduce litter to support water-quality goals.