Frequently Asked Questions

The City of Bangor is making efforts to improve the water quality in the waters of the impaired streams in the City. These efforts include: raising awareness of water quality issues through education and outreach, writing and implementing watershed-based plans, structural Best Management Practices (BMPs) to improve stormwater quality, and following development regulations from the Maine DEP.

Stormwater education and outreach are largely accomplished in a collaborative effort of Bangor area municipalities, federal facilities, and public universities through their membership in the Bangor Area Stormwater Group (BASWG). These efforts are aimed at improving stewardship of lands to improve stormwater quality by local residents.

Watershed-Based Plans (WBPs, sometimes referred to as "watershed management plans") are written for specific waterbodies as a "road map" to improve water quality and/or habitat within a waterbody. The City of Bangor has active WBPs for Arctic Brook and Capehart Brook. Birch Stream and Penjajawoc Stream have had active WBPs in the past, and updated plans for these two streams will be written by 2027. Sucker Brook and Shaw Brook do not have WBPs at this time.

The City has installed many structural Best Management Practices (BMPs) in Urban Impaired Stream watersheds over the years. These BMPs are usually designed to capture stormwater, remove pollutants, lower temperatures, and slowly release the stormwater. Slowly releasing the stormwater mimics a more natural environment with less impervious cover.

The goal of both the Maine DEP and the City of Bangor is to improve water quality in these waterbodies to the point where they are no longer impaired.

Citizens can make small changes in their everyday lives that can have a big impact when multiplied over a larger population. Reducing individual pollutant loads from many individuals in a community can be effective at reducing pollutant loads in waterways. Non-point source pollution reduction can be reduced on an individual level. Common non-point source pollutants in Maine and ways to reduce them include:

• Sediment - From eroding soils
  • These can be reduced by stabilizing soils with vegetation and mulch
  • Mow your lawn at 3 inches or higher for healthy turf
  • Repair areas damaged by snow removal in the spring
• Nutrients - From fertilizers and pet wastes
  • Only apply lawn chemicals when needed
  • Pick up your pets' waste and dispose in the trash
  • Don't dump yard wastes in ditches or drainage ways
• Oils, Greases, and other chemicals - From mechanical system leaks
  • Maintain mechanical items such as vehicles and outdoor power equipment to fix and prevent leaks
  • Clean up leaks and spills immediately using absorbent materials - do not "wash them away"
• Litter - garbage and other disposed items
  • Keep your outdoor waste receptacles covered and secured from wind
  • Clean up litter
• Chlorides - From salts used for snow and ice control
  • Follow the instructions on the packaging for the ice-melting product
  • Pay attention to the outside temperature when applying salts
    • Salt is not as effective in extreme cold, no matter how much is used
    • Not as much product is needed in warmer temperatures and sunny days