TIPS: Help Keep Our Water Clean
Monday, April 27, 2009
There are many ways you can help to keep our water sources clean.
What you can do at home:
- Be mindful of what you pour down the drain –all drains lead to rivers or lakes eventually
- Recycle car oil and other vehicle fluids
- Check your car for leaks
- Wash your vehicle on the lawn, not the pavement
- Compost your leaves or place them in bags for curbside pickup
- Use only phosphorus-free lawn fertilizers, and use as little as possible
- Look for pesticide free alternatives to pest control
- Purchase environmentally friendly household cleaners and garden products
- Pick up after your pet outside
- Don’t flush cat litter
- Properly dispose of medication and harsh chemicals at a designated drop off site
- Design a rain garden to reduce pollution from rain runoff
- Never dump anything into a storm sewer!
What you can do in your community:
- Participate in a park, river, beach cleanup or restoration project
- Help a local watershed group collect water samples to monitor water quality
- Educate others about water pollution
- Advocate for environmentally friendly pavement de-icing policies in your community
- Advocate to ban phosphorus in fertilizer and dishwasher detergent
- Be a watchdog! If you notice any of the following in or along your streams, rivers and lakes, contact your state environmental agency:
o An unusual smell or substance in water
o A change in water color
o Hazardous waste containers or discarded barrels
o Fish kills or dead waterfowl
o Illegal dumping
o Algae overgrowth
