A Post Earth Day Reminder: Protect Our Waterways!

Published on October 01, 2023

Our waterways are part of Dunedin’s identity as a coastal community. It’s our responsibility to protect our local waterways and designated Hope Spot.

The City of Dunedin has taken an active approach in protecting our waterways by:

• Routinely maintaining the City’s stormwater system through street sweeping efforts, cleaning out catch basins and pollution boxes.
• Long term water quality monitoring which helps stormwater staff identify hot spots and problem areas in our waterways and provides long term trend analyses.
• Partnering in interlocal agreements with Pinellas County and various municipalities to cost share water quality assessment and studies, illicit discharge detection, and biological monitoring and assessment.
• Supporting capital improvement projects (CIP) projects which are part of Stormwater Master Plan for flooding and water quality control.
• Educating staff and citizens through trainings, education events, and social media on watershed protection.

How Can You Help?

While the rainy season is inching around the corner, here are a few ways you can help us out:

• Learn more and support our Hope Spot Dunedin here: Florida Gulf Coast Hope Spot | Dunedin, FL (dunedingov.com)
• Only Rain Down the Drain! do not dump anything into our stormdrains. This includes trash, paint, pet waste, fertilizer, grass clippings, leaves, car wash soap suds, or sediment. All stormdrains drain into a local waterway. Clogged stormdrains can cause localize flooding issues. Make sure to keep stormdrains clear of debris.
• Do not use fertilizer during the blackout period of June 1st through September 30th. Algae blooms are fueled by excess fertilizer runoff.
• If you see an illicit discharge or illicit dumping into our stormwater system, let us know! We are here to assist you in determining if an illicit discharge has occurred. Call Public Services at 727-298-3232.