MILLTOWN — The Borough Council recently adopted two ordinances designed to help protect the environment.
Council President Brian Harto said one ordinance will require that storm drains on the streets be retrofitted with smaller inlets, preventing garbage and items such as unwanted junk mail from flowing into them and eventually into the Lawrence Brook.
The other ordinance will require commercial garbage bins such as Dumpsters to have their lids closed.
Harto said both new laws are designed to better address storm water issues.
“Keeping the lids closed prevents the garbage and restaurant grease in the Dumpsters from having rain run through it, and eventually run onto the ground and into our storm sewers,” Harto said. “It is very important, as Milltowners, to protect the Lawrence Brook, which runs through the center of our town, and eventually provides us with our drinking water.”
The brook and its lakes in Middlesex County are considered moderately impaired with pollution, according to the Lawrence Brook Watershed Partnership. The state Department of Environmental Protection found that the South Brunswick part of the brook was “severely impaired” in its most recent assessment. According to the group, there is a direct relationship between the percentage of impervious surfaces, such as concrete and tar surfaces, and pollution in the waterways. However, this can be limited with proper measures and approaches.