Ten Solutions to Stormwater Pollution

1. Keep your butts in the car. Don't throw cigarette butts or any litter on the road. These pollutants will float and end up in creeks, rivers or ponds

2. Mow high, mow often, and leave the clippings. Remove yard waste from driveways and sidewalks and put it in the compost, trash or your own backyard. Use leaves and yard waste for compost, don't hose or sweep them into the gutter. Recycle the compost as fertilizer for your lawn or garden.

3. Don't fertilize your creek. Use garden fertilizers, pesticides and chemicals properly and never near drains and natural waterways. Especially avoid using them in windy conditions or when rain is forecast. Consider organic options and dispose of excess chemicals at the next household pollution collection event.

4. Practice Good Car Care: Save Money. Save the Environment. A program of routine maintenance can help your car run better so you save on fuel and major repair costs. There's one more important benefit: good car care prevents water and air pollution. Fix oil and radiator leaks in your car so that these substances don't wash into our waterways. Never pour used oil or antifreeze in the storm sewer. Wash your car on the lawn, not in the street or driveway where detergents and grime can go down the stormwater drains. Consider using a commercial car wash, which recycles water and directs wastewater to the sanitary sewer.

5. Water Pollution Stinks. Keep your Septic System Clean. Ensure your septic tank is cleaned of sludge at least every three years and is working properly. Have it checked regularly by an expert.

6. Clean up after your pooch. Take a plastic bag or pooper-scooper along on your walk and pick up your dog's droppings. What should you do with the pet waste that you pick up? You may flush it down the toilet, bury it in the yard (don't add it to your compost pile) or put it in a sealed bag in the trash.

7. Sediment hammers our stream beds. Make sure sand and other building materials are kept away from stormwater drains and gutters. If you spot a blocked drain or notice illegal dumping, call the Customer Care Center at 311, and an inspector will investigate. Putting foreign substances into the storm sewer is a violation of City ordinance.

8. Pool chemicals can kill wildlife. Pool chemicals are designed to kill organic matter in pools. It has the same effect on organisms in local streams.  Make sure swimming pools are backwashed into the sanitary sewer or onto a grassy area, but never into the storm sewer or streams.

9. Dispose of household chemicals (oil, paint, wastewater) properly. Don't pour used oils, paint, wastewater or other waste down a stormwater drain or gutter. Dispose of household hazardous waste at recycling locations or during collection events.

10. Storm drains are for rain. The storm sewer is for storm water only, if you see the disposal of anything other than storm water into the storm sewer contact the Customer Care Center at 311.