Water Pollution is a growing problem in Nash County. Sediment is the number one pollutant of streams, lakes and rivers in North Carolina. Another larger contributor is illegal dumping into the stormwater drainage system that feeds our creeks, rivers, ponds and lakes. Stormwater runoff picks up pollutants like dirt, oil fertilizer and cigarette butts & carries them directly to the nearest stream, lake or river with no treatment whatsoever.

Nash County works to improve surface water quality and reduce water pollution by enforcing the County's ordinance against illicit discharges. An illicit discharge is an unlawful act of disposal, placement, emptying, dumping, spillage, leakage, pumping, pouring, emission, or other discharge of any substance other than stormwater into a stormwater drainage system. The stormwater drainage system includes streets, ditches, catch basins, yard inlets, lakes, streams and rivers.