We've all seen how much water floods our neighborhoods during a rain storm. Too much water can make sewage systems overflow, dumping raw sewage into our streams. You can help reduce flooding and pollution by being aware of and managing the rain water that runs off your property. During storms, rain water runs off impervious surfaces like roofs, driveways and lawns. This rain water is called stormwater run-off. Managing the rain water that falls on your property not only helps prevent damage to your property, but also prevents damage to your neighborhood. Improvements to your property can also beautify your home and increase its value.

Click here to view the "Living Streamside" workshop presented by the EAC that addresses stormwater issues.

Here are some things you can do to help reduce your stormwater run-off:

1. View this plan of what you can do for your property* 
2. Clean leaves out of your gutters.
3. Add extensions to your gutter downspouts to divert the water away from your house and to run off into yard areas. Try to reduce how much rainwater flows directly onto the driveway, sidewalk or street.
4. Install rain barrels at your gutter downspouts to capture and retain rain water. The water can be used to water lawns and gardens. 
5. Install a rain garden and direct your downspouts into it.
6. Reduce the size of you lawn by planting more garden areas. View the "native plants" section above for more information.  If you have a sunny spot, you may want to grow your own vegetables.
7. If you have a stream or streambed on your property, plant native trees, shrubs and flowers along stream banks, or along dry creek beds. 
8. Volunteer with your township/EAC to help plant trees along stream banks in parks. Visit our  events page for upcoming projects.

Additional Information:

• Philadelphia Water Department (PWD)*
• Household Water Conservation info from Penn State*

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Rain Gardens 

Winter Salt Sense

Using salt to melt snow helps keep roads and sidewalks safe, but when the snow melts, salt ends up in our creeks, where it can harm plants and animals—from small plankton and insects to large fish and birds. Applying too much salt can kill grass, trees, and other plants adjacent to roads and sidewalks and harm pets when they get salt on their paws. Excess salt on roads, driveways, and parking lots can cause corrosion on cars and other vehicles.

• The huge amount of salt people apply on roads, driveways, and sidewalks impairs water quality and harms our plants, pets, and wildlife.
• If you must use salt, do it sparingly. (Think one handful per yard of walkway or driveway.)
• Remove snow or ice on sidewalks and driveways before you apply salt.
• Sweep up excess salt after the storm for reuse the next time.
• Look for environmentally safe and pet safe products.

Abington Township occupies land that drains into three waterways: Pennypack Creek, Whissahickon Creek, and Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Creek. These creeks drain directly or indirectly into the Delaware River, which provides drinking water to millions of people. Water treatment plants are not equipped to filter out the extra salt, which can end up in tap water and groundwater and corrode metal water pipes.

Helpful Links

• Because of human activity, our creeks frequently have levels of salt that are toxic to aquatic life: https://www.inquirer.com/news/delaware-river-watershed-salt-levels-20190528.html 
• How road salt harms the environment: https://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2018/12/11/road-salt-harms-environment/ 
• What you can do: https://www.iwla.org/water/stream-monitoring/winter-salt-watch/what-you-can-do 
• Environmental impacts and comparison of deicing agents: https://stormwater.pca.state.mn.us/index.php?title=Environmental_impacts_of_road_salt_and_other_de-icing_chemicals 
• U.S. Geological Survey: https://www.usgs.gov/news/urban-stream-contamination-increasing-rapidly-due-road-salt 
• Best practices: https://www.iwla.org/water/stream-monitoring/winter-salt-watch/road-salt-best-practices 
• Voluntary training and certification for public and private drivers and salt applicators: https://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/salt-applicators
• http://www.cityofmadison.com/live-work/sustainability/winter-salt-certification/get-certified 
• Application rate guidelines: https://www.wisaltwise.com/Tools/Application-Guidelines-Calculator 
• Smart Salting Assessment Tool: https://stormwater.pca.state.mn.us/index.php?title=Smart_Salting_Assessment_tool_(SSAt) 
• How to minimize damage to plants: https://extension.psu.edu/minimize-deicer-damage-with-salt-tolerant-plants 
• Local volunteers urge smarter road salting practices: https://www.montgomerynews.com/publicspirit/volunteers-urge-smarter-road-salting-practices-to-save-streams/article_166aba82-88a5-11ea-9ab6-4353ef56b261.html

Click here to view the presentation slides from the October 10, 2024 Board of Commissioners Working Session.  

Click here to view the draft ordinance (starts on page 12). 

Plastic Bag Survey for Businesses 

Please click here to take the survey. 

Plastic Bag Survey

The EAC is seeking feedback on an initiative to reduce single use plastic bag waste and would like to hear about your sustainability interests and goals. Please click here to take a survey. 

October 23, 2023 Single-Use Plastics and Polystyrene Products Ban Ordinance Administrative Public Information Meeting

An administrative public information meeting on the EAC's recommended Single-Use Plastics and Polystyrene Products Ban Ordinance was held on Monday, October 23, 2023 at 6:30 PM. 

• Click here or the video below to view the meeting presentation. 
• Click here to view the presentation slides. 

Click here to view the Plastic Bag Ban Response Document by Faran Savitz, Zero Waste Advocate - PennEnvironment. 

Click here to view the SE PA Single-Use Plastics Ordinances Map. 

The EAC is seeking your opinion about a possible food waste composting program in Abington Township.  Please click here to take our survey!

For more information about composting, please click here and see the composting tab of interest. 

What is a pollinator? A pollinator is any animal or thing that transfers pollen from one flower to another. Pollination allows fruit and seeds to develop. Without pollination we would have no fruit or other important foods. Pollinators are vital to our food supply. Our native insect pollinators include bumblebees, mason bees, butterflies, flies and others. Non-insect pollinators include the wind, people, mammals, hummingbirds, bats and more.

How to help our native insect pollinators in your own yard:

•  Reduce or eliminate using pesticides and herbicides.  If necessary, choose the least toxic option for the situation. Be especially careful not to allow these products to spread into storm drains or waterways.
• Plant flowering trees, shrubs and flowers that are native to Pennsylvania. These provide high quality food for pollinators. Some pollinators can eat only one species of plant. For example, monarch butterfly caterpillars can only eat milkweed.
• Leave standing dead trees where ever possible to provide shelter.
• Build bee houses to provide shelter for wood-boring species.

For more information, visit the links below  or contact any EAC member.

• Certify your pollinator-friendly garden with the Penn State Master Gardeners*
• US Forest Service pollination information: what is pollination, pollinator species info, environmental benefits of pollination, cultural importance of pollination, gardening for pollinators *.
• Pollinator Partnership - pollinators at risk video, list of pollinated foods, and regional pollinator plant guides *.
• About bees, bee gardens, and bee houses - from Maryland Department of Natural Resources*.
• How to build a bee house *- from National Wildlife Federation.

* By clicking on this link you will leave the EAC webpage and will go to a website that is not associated with or endorsed by the EAC.

* By clicking on this link you will leave the EAC webpage and will go to a website that is not associated with or endorsed by the EAC.