The term "Nutrient Discharges" refers to a wide range of non-stormwater flows polluting urban waters during dry weather due to spills, leaks, and overflows from storm sewers and sanitary sewers. Dry weather nutrient discharges collectively account for as much as 20 to 40% of the annual nutrient load in urban watersheds.  Illicit discharge prevention is the practice of locating, eliminating and preventing non-stormwater entries into storm drain systems.  The Chesapeake Stormwater Network provides a variety of resources on illicit discharge prevention.

Street sweeping can earn communities only a modest pollutant reduction credit.  While street sweepers may reduce trash or toxic contaminants, which are abundant in urban street solids, older technologies that use mechanical broom sweepers do little to reduce nutrients and sediment. While these mechanical sweepers may pick up large particles, they do not pick up the smaller particles that impact water quality.  Upgrading to more effective technologies like Regenerative Air Sweepers and Vacuum Assisted Sweepers can help increase pollution reduction efficiency.

Street sweeping can earn communities only a modest pollutant reduction credit.  While street sweepers may reduce trash or toxic contaminants, which are abundant in urban street solids, older technologies that use mechanical broom sweepers do little to reduce nutrients and sediment. While these mechanical sweepers may pick up large particles, they do not pick up the smaller particles that impact water quality.  Upgrading to more effective technologies like Regenerative Air Sweepers and Vacuum Assisted Sweepers can help increase pollution reduction efficiency.

New techniques have been pioneered in the Chesapeake Bay watershed to restore urban streams using diverse approaches such as natural channel design, regenerative stream channel, and removal of legacy sediments.  While each approach is different, they all seek to restore the function of the stream channel by preventing sediment from bank erosion, promoting in stream denitrification, and increasing interaction with the floodplain.  The Chesapeake Stormwater Network provides a variety of resources on urban stream restoration.

New techniques have been pioneered in the Chesapeake Bay watershed to restore urban streams using diverse approaches such as natural channel design, regenerative stream channel, and removal of legacy sediments.  While each approach is different, they all seek to restore the function of the stream channel by preventing sediment from bank erosion, promoting in stream denitrification, and increasing interaction with the floodplain.  The Chesapeake Stormwater Network provides a variety of resources on urban stream restoration.

There are two types of tree planting activities that can earn Bay Pollution Diet credit for your community.  Urban tree canopy expansion includes small-scale residential planting or new street trees. This practice provides pollution reduction credit for every new, individually planted tree in a developed community. Urban forest planting establishes a forest-like condition, and provides credit by meeting state planting density and understory management requirements.

Urban nutrient management can make lawn's more Bay-friendly and reduce the risk that fertilizers or plant biomass will enter the Bay. When combined with lower phosphorus content in lawn fertilizer due to recent state laws, these practices can greatly reduce the risk that nitrogen and phosphorus will enter stormwater or move through groundwater.  In addition to the automatic credit communities receive from fertilizer legislation, communities can also earn credit for individual properties with a written plan that uses these 10 core urban nutrient management practices

Urban nutrient management can make lawn's more Bay-friendly and reduce the risk that fertilizers or plant biomass will enter the Bay. When combined with lower phosphorus content in lawn fertilizer due to recent state laws, these practices can greatly reduce the risk that nitrogen and phosphorus will enter stormwater or move through groundwater.  In addition to the automatic credit communities receive from fertilizer legislation, communities can also earn credit for individual properties with a written plan that uses these 10 core urban nutrient management practices

Erosion and sediment control includes a combination of practices that reduce sediment loss from active construction sites.  The Chesapeake Stormwater Network provides a variety of resources on Enhanced Erosion and Sediment Control (ESC) practices, which are required to be employed at construction sites in all Bay states.  In July 2012, an expert panel was convened to review the available science on nutrient and sediment removal performance associated with ESC practices.

Erosion and sediment control includes a combination of practices that reduce sediment loss from active construction sites.  The Chesapeake Stormwater Network provides a variety of resources on Enhanced Erosion and Sediment Control (ESC) practices, which are required to be employed at construction sites in all Bay states.  In July 2012, an expert panel was convened to review the available science on nutrient and sediment removal performance associated with ESC practices.