Where Do I Recycle Used Oil?

Click on image to download brochure.

You can make a difference! If you change your oil, don’t dumb it. RECYCLE IT!

Of all Americans who change their own oil, only 10% of them dispose of their waste oil in the proper Manner.
A single quart of oil will foul the taste of 250,000 gallons of water. Oil kills the floating organisms in fresh water that feed fish, and it kills aquatic life.

Used motor oil can be recycled. It can be collated and re-refined. Re-refined oil is as good a lubricant as new oil. Out of a 42 gallon barrel of crude oil, you get 2 1/2 quarts of new motor oil. While recycling just one gallon of used motor oil will yield the same 2 1/2 quarts.

Download the brochure for a list of locations that recycle or contact the Charleston Stormwater Department at 304.348.8106.

Fall has Arrived!

Which means that it leaves season, again.

Can you see the Storm Drain?

The City of Charleston Stormwater and the Public Works Department would like to remind homeowner that leaves can cover storm drains and cause street flooding. So, please do not rake/blow leaves into or pile onto the storm drains.

Residents can either bag leaves for pickup or pile in yard away from storm drains for later pickup by city Vac Trucks. If you employee a mowing service, please ensure that they follow these recommendations. Residential loose leaf collection is scheduled to start on or around Monday, October 31st.

As a reminder, this applies to ditch lines, streams, and creeks. Excess leaves can clog pipes and ditches. Large amounts of leaves in the streams and creeks can break down cause harm to aquatic life.

Let’s do our part to keep Charleton “River Proud”.

2022 Rain Barrel Workshop

The City of Charleston’s Stormwater Department and the Capitol Market is collaborating to host TWO Stormwater Education & Rain Barrel Workshops for households located within city limits. The workshops will be located at Center Court at Capitol Market. Register for the workshop to get information about the importance of stormwater management; how to reduce water pollution, and how to install a rain barrel. At this stormwater-focused workshop, all attendees will receive a used olive barrel and a parts kit to take home and install to their downspout at no cost.  Registration is required and attendance is necessary to receive the materials and instruction. Space is limited, one registration per household.

To register for a workshop, click on the link below:

Wednesday, May 18th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Registration Link: Full- Closed

Wednesday, May 25th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Registration Link: Full- Closed

Class size is limited so please register early!

For more information contact Greg Robinson at greg.robinson@cityofcharleston.org

2021 Rain Barrel Workshops

The City of Charleston’s Stormwater Department and the WV Department of Environmental Protection’s Watershed Improvement Branch is partnering to host THREE Stormwater Education & Rain Barrel Workshops for households located within city limits. The workshops will be held at the DEP Charleston Headquarters’ Patio in May.  Register for an in-person workshop to learn about the importance of stormwater management, how to reduce water pollution, and get involved in watershed protection by learning about local watershed groups and how to install a rain barrel. At this stormwater focused workshop, all attendees will receive a used olive barrel and a parts kit to take home and install to their downspout at no cost.  Registration is required and attendance is necessary to receive the materials and instruction. Space is limited, one registration per household. To register for a workshop, click on the link below:

Thursday, May 13th at 6:00 p.m. Registration Link: REGISTRATION IS CLOSED/WORKSHOP IS FULL

Sunday, May 16th at 4:00 p.m. Registration Link: https://forms.gle/hjiEKsHDprJiYihK7

Wednesday, May 19th at 5:30 p.m. Registration Link: https://forms.gle/nKCreyeoT6s8md3v9

Class size is limited so please register early!

For more information contact Tomi Bergstrom at Tomi.M.Bergstrom@wv.gov or Greg Robinson at greg.robinson@cityofcharleston.org

No Dumping – Drains to River

The Stormwater Department is currently tagging Drain Inlets (DI) to identify the storm drains that discharge untreated rain water directly to our streams and rivers. The Capital City has two primary sewer systems that convey rain water when there is a storm. The types are Dedicated and Combined.

The Dedicated drain system collects rain water then pipes it directly to our streams and rivers. Dedicated storm lines do not filter or prevent any pollution from entering the waterways. Therefore, it is imperative that these systems remain clean and free of trash. Bottles, cans. pet waste, oil leaks, plastic bags, etc. all end up in the river. “No Dumping – Drains to River” disc are placed on or close to the DI to identify these systems.

The Combined system collects rain water and adds it to existing sanitary sewer pipes which carries the water to our sanitary treatment facility. During smaller rain events all rain water gets treated, however, larger events are discharged directly into our rivers. These DI’s will not be tagged with a disc.

Please help us prevent stormwater pollution. The goal is to prevent trash and chemicals from entering our streams and rivers. Please remove any trash and debris around our DI’s and report any leaks or discharges that are getting into these storm drains to the Stormwater Department 304.348.8601.

Webinar “Path of Trash: From Charleston to the Atlantic Ocean”:

WVDEP’s Watershed Improvement Branch and City of Charleston’s Stormwater Program is offering a free webinar extension for their virtual event, Funky FestivALL Fish Find! The webinar “Path of Trash: From Charleston to the Atlantic Ocean!” will be held on Monday, June 22nd at 10:30 a.m. until approximately 11:30 a.m. including time for questions. This webinar is open to the public and suitable for all ages, but does require advanced registration. Register in advance for this webinar:

“Get your Fish on!”

Funky FestivALL Fish Find

Learn how plastic impacts water across the globe, from our rivers and oceans to our aquatic life. Connect to our rivers by building a fish from plastic bottles and writing a unique message to share. This activity utilizes common household materials and is suitable for all ages. Place your fish in a window or outside where neighbors can spot it walking or driving by. Share a message with your community and create awareness of plastic pollution.

The WVDEP and Charleston Stormwater Department have teamed up with FestivALL to increase awareness of plastic pollution through a fun and engaging art project. Click on image below to get supply list and instructions.

Click on logo for information on FestivALL Charleston

2020 Virtual Rain Barrel Workshops

The WVDEP and Charleston Stormwater Department have gone “Virtual”! Social distancing is the new norm and so is gardening.  Help the environment by sourcing your water from the sky.  We want to help. Free rain barrel and instruction on how to install, paint, and use it.

There are two workshops click on the one you wish to attend and register.

Tuesday, June 2nd at 5:00 p.m. Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Gh8-ABF7SvCaKKAG1rm0Fw


Thursday, June 4th at 6:00 p.m. Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ax2HF2nTRduI9wnAprsnyA

After you attend the workshop you will get information on when and how to pick up your rain barrel.  Register now availability is limited!

Wild & Wonderful Water Science Fair

Fifth-grade classrooms in Kanawha County are invited to present water science projects at the inaugural “Wild & Wonderful Water Science Fair” set for Monday, Feb. 17, 2020 in Charleston.

The fair is a partnership between the WVDEP’s Project WET program and the City of Charleston’s Stormwater program. Other partners include West Virginia State University’s Extension Office, the West Virginia Division of Forestry, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, West Virginia American Water, and the WVDEP’s Youth Environmental Program and Environmental Advocate Office.

The Water Science Fair offers an opportunity for teachers to integrate Next Generation Content Standards and Objectives for Science into their fifth-grade classrooms with collaborative, fun, and hands-on learning, and is designed to support students in a forum that promotes creative thinking, problem-solving, and design principles to study and protect the world’s most precious resource – water.

For more information, download the Water Science Fair Overview, and the Rules and Regulations.

CLICK HERE FOR AN APPLICATION.

Rewards will be given to First, Second, and Third-place winners.

Important Deadlines

  •  Applications must be submitted by Friday, Dec. 6, 2019.
  • Classrooms will receive their materials and the judging criteria, and be connected with their mentors on Monday, Jan. 6, 2020.
  • An award ceremony will be held on the evening of Monday, Feb. 17, 2020 to present awards to the winning classrooms. The ceremony is open to the public. Awards will also be presented to the winning classrooms at their school.

Contact Information

Questions can be directed to:

Tomi Bergstrom, WVDEP Project WET coordinator – Tomi.M.Bergstrom@wv.gov
Lee Ann Grogg, City of Charleston Stormwater Program – leeann.grogg@cityofcharleston.org.

Single-Use Plastics – Putting earth in the hole!

This is the third year that the Charleston Stormwater Department has sponsored and constructed a putt-putt hole for the Charleston Area Alliance’s Downtown Open. Over two dozen local businesses create custom holes to participate in the pop-up miniature golf course.  The finished holes will be set up along the sidewalks and greenspaces in Downtown Charleston to create a one-of-a kind course June 24–July 8.

Putt-Putt your way through our single-use plastic fish! Soda bottles, plastic bags, & plastic straws are putting the earth in the hole when it comes to pollution. Americans use 100 billion plastic bags a year and 500 million straws every day. At this rate, National Geographic estimates that the oceans will be swimming with more plastic than fish, as calculated in weight, by 2050. Plastic does not bio-degrade, and our waterways & wildlife are inheriting our trash.

What can you do?

Make a pledge to refuse plastic straws for a week, pick up litter you see on the sidewalk, or take reusable bags to the store and be part of the reduction of single-use plastics!