The little things we do each day can collectively have a huge impact on improving the quality of our water. Below you'll find resources to take action in your home or business, including the Rethink Runoff Blue Certification Program, Lake Friendly Cleaning, and Stormwater Management.
Select a Category below to learn more.
Managing Water on Your Property
Water runoff from storms can cause erosion problems on your property, puddles, increases the need for deicing chemicals, and carries gravel, sediment and other pollutants from the street into your watershed. There are some practices and technologies you can implement at home that will not only increase the value of your property, but also improve water quality.
BLUE® Certification Program
Environment-Friendly Cleaning
The Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) provides recipes for household cleaners that are more environmentally sound than those that are toxic not only to our environment, but our pets and ourselves.
Stormwater Friendly Driveways

Rethink Runoff
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Explore the Lake Champlain Basin - locate yourself on the map and see which rivers or streams near you have impaired water quality.
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The Stream Team - the Stream Team engages citizens across an eight-town area (Burlington, Essex, Essex Junction, Milton, Shelburne, South Burlington, Williston & Winooski) to implement projects to reduce non-point source pollution and stormwater volume at the local level.
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Tips for Rural Homeowners - Pollution from rural households like pesticides, fertilizers, septic system overflows, soil, and animal manure from make their way into the Chittenden County storm drain system and DO NOT GET TREATED before reaching Lake Champlain.These wastes make our waters unhealthy and unsafe for people and wildlife. Follow these practices to help prevent stormwater pollution.
Lake Wise
Lake Wise

Do you live on one of Vermont's beautiful lakes and ponds? The Lake Wise Program is an Agency of Natural Resources initiative that awards lake-friendly shoreland property, including that of state parks, town beaches, private homes and businesses. The goal of Lake Wise is to establish a new culture of lakeshore landscaping that will help protect the lake. Properties that earn the Lake Wise Award will represent a "model" shoreland property. The Lake Wise Award certifies a property is well managed, using shoreland Best Management Practices, and is maintained to care for the lake.
If you are a lakeshore owner and think you are or would like to become Lake Wise eligible, then just contact the Lake Wise Program.
Technical Assistance:
Guide to Stormwater Management
Vermont Guide to Stormwater Management for Households & Small Businesses
The purpose of this guide is to help homeowners and small business owners who are not subject to stormwater permits and regulations identify ways to improve and protect water quality and manage stormwater runoff at its source. The practices described in the guide infiltrate, filter, store, evaporate, and detain runoff onsite, minimizing environmental impact and pollution. You can customize these designs to fit your needs and site-specific constraints.