The City of Pineville, Louisiana

The term "Best Management Practices," or BMP was introduced and defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a practice or combination of practices that is an effective, practical means of preventing or reducing the amount of pollution generated by non-point sources. What is non-point source pollution? Sources of non-point pollution include sediment, nutrients, motor oil and lawn care products that run off hard surfaces and yards into storm drains.  Storm drains typically empty into nearby bodies of water and wetlands.

Do you have a BMP on your property or in your neighborhood?

Ponds, ditches and depressions that you see every day may actually be engineered stormwater facilities designed to reduce flooding and improve water quality.  As development occurs, land is covered by roads, driveways, rooftops and other hard surfaces that do not allow stormwater to infiltrate (or soak) into the ground. 

Without BMPs, the end result of development may be flooding and poor water quality in streams and lakes.  The long-term benefits of BMPs only work if they are maintained to sustain their effectiveness. Maintaining your BMPs is an important part of the City of Pineville flood reduction and environmental protection efforts.

Site Stabilization

• Vegetate, mulch, or otherwise stabilize all exposed areas as soon as land alternation is complete.

Storm Drain Inlet Protection

• Use rock or other appropriate material in covet storm drain inlets to filter out trash and debris.
• Make sure the rock size is appropriate (usually 1 to 2 inches in diameter).
• If you use inlet filters, maintain them regularly.

Dirt Stockpile

• Cover or seed all dirt stockpiles.

Construction Entrance

• Remove mud and dirt from the tires of construction vehicles before they enter a paved roadway.
• Properly size entrance BMPs for all anticipated vehicles.
• Make sure the construction entrance does not become buried in soil.

Silt Fencing

• Inspect and maintain silt fences after each rain storm.
• Make sure the bottom of the silt fence is buried in the ground.
• Do not place silt fences in the middle of a waterway or use them as a check dam.
• Make sure stormwater is not flowing around silt fences.

For more information about the EPA's Best Management Practices click here.