Tip 1: Your Car
6 Resources
1 Actions
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.
Fact:
The stormwater discharge from one square mile of roads and parking lots can yield approximately 20,000 gallons of residual oil per year.
What you
Can
Do
- 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
Rain Barrels
One inch of rain falling on a 1,000 square-foot roof has the potential to harvest 600 gallons of water.
Learn moreBe In
The
Know
Below is a list of resources to support stormwater conservation for your car.