tip one: your car

When oil or other fluids are spilled or leak from our cars onto driveways, streets and parking lots, there's a good chance it will be washed into nearby storm drains. These contain toxins that are harmful to fish and birds, aquatic vegetation, wildlife and humans.If you wash your car on the street or driveway, the soap and oily grit picked up by your car will be washed into nearby storm drains and then into our streams, ponds, rivers or reservoirs, without any treatment.

• Regular car maintenance prevents leaking automotive fluids
• Take your car to a commercial car wash where the used water is captured, recycled and/or filtered to remove pollutants.
• If washing car at home, do it on grass or gravel because it will soak up the waste
• Recycle used motor oil. Never dump motor oil, antifreeze, transmission fluid or other engine fluids down storm drains, into road gutters, on the ground or into a ditch

tip two: your lawn

If you apply too many lawn fertilizers or pesticides, especially before a heavy rain storm, a lot of it may be washed into nearby storm drains and then our waterways and water bodies without treatment.

Once in the water, fertilizers promote growth and decay of algae that use up oxygen, which fish need to survive. Pesticides in stormwater runoff directly affect the health of aquatic organisms and human health if ingested.

Since organic matter contains nutrients, raking autumn leaves or grass clippings into gutters or streets for municipal collection or into the storm-sewer system also adds nutrients and oxygen-demanding substances to stormwater. Also, if a storm drain becomes clogged with debris, the system can become blocked and overflow causing flooding, damaging property. Poorly maintained garden beds or lawns also can be a source of sediment.

• Use fertilizer sparingly or not at all
• Mulch when you mow & leave grass clippings on lawn to naturally fertilize
• If possible, compost leaves and yard waste
• Native plants like to grow in your yard, and do not take much work or water to flourish
• Keep natural vegetation alongside streams and ponds to trap excess fertilizers and sediment before they can reach the waterbody

tip three: your pet

Pet waste is a common stormwater pollutant. Runoff contaminated with pet wastes can contain pathogens such as bacteria, parasites, and viruses that are harmful, causing sore throats, intestinal problems, rashes, nausea, and infections. If pet wastes enter water bodies they demand a lot of oxygen as they decompose. This reduces the amount available to fish and plant life, causing them to die.

tip four: your waste

The wastewater and sewage that drain from inside your house is treated and cleaned before it enters the ocean, but the storm drains in the street outside your home flow directly to the ocean, rivers, and lakes without any treatment. It is therefore very important that no one be allowed to dump waste of any kind onto street surfaces, drainage pipes and ditches, or into storm drains, they are only for rainwater.

By properly disposing of your household waste through your county recycling and household hazardous waste disposal programs you will help to ensure that contaminants from your waste do not contaminate stormwater.