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Document Sample
When
your pets When
When you’re go on the you’re
washing your ground, fertilizing
car in the the lawn,
driveway, When
your car is
leaking oil on
the street,
’ r e n ot ju st wa s hi ng .. . t h e y ’ r e n o t j u st g o i n . . . yo u ’ r e no t j u st f e r t i . . . i t i s n ’ t j u s t l e a k i ng o
. ..yo u y o ur g on li z in il on
c a r i n t h e d r i v e wa y . the g r ou n d . g t he l the street.
a wn.
Step By Step
If you wash your car on the street If pet waste is not properly disposed If you apply too much fertilizer, When oil leaks from our cars onto
or driveway, the soap and oily grit of, the waste may be washed into especially before a heavy rain storm, driveways, streets and parking lots,
picked up by your car will be washed nearby storm drains by rain or a lot of it may be washed into nearby there's a good chance it will be
into nearby storm drains and then melting snow. Pet waste is a source storm drains and then our waterways washed into nearby storm drains,
Your Guide To Cleaner Water into our streams, ponds, reservoirs or of bacteria. Many storm drains empty and water bodies without treatment. eventually making its way into our
estuaries, without any treatment. This into our streams, ponds, reservoirs Once in the water, fertilizers promote streams, ponds, reservoirs and
pollution is unhealthy for all of us. and estuaries, delivering bacteria and a growth and decay process in algae. estuaries. Picture the number of cars
other pollutants to these waters. The decaying algae then use up in your area and imagine the amount
So how can you avoid this mess?
oxygen, which fish need to survive. of oil that finds its way from leaky
Wash your car on grass or gravel So what can you do? Carry a pooper
chestergov.c gaskets into our waterways and water
e st om surfaces instead of on paved streets. scooper or plastic bags. Flush only So when you apply fertilizer to your
bodies.
.w /
w Better yet, take it to a commercial car the waste or seal it in a plastic bag lawn or garden use it sparingly, avoid
w
w
wash where the water is treated and and dispose of it in the garbage. applying it before a heavy rainstorm, So, please fix leaks and never dump
w
at
er
recycled. and use slow-release fertilizer. used motor oil or other engine fluids
qua
into storm drains or the ground.
l i ty
Visit these web sites
for information about Be Part Of The Pollution Solution! Help Clean Up Our Water Resources.
polluted runoff:
County of Westchester: What is Polluted Stormwater Runoff? Clean streams, lakes, reservoirs and estuaries are important to all of us!
When snow melts or it rains, water runs over roads, parking lots, sidewalks and lawns, removing oils But you don’t have to live near a stream or lake to affect their water quality. For example,
www.westchestergov.com/waterquality
and grease, sand and salt, tiny metal and soil particles, and fertilizers. This stormwater runoff and the spilled oil may eventually find its way there no matter where it's spilled. The environmental
Center for Watershed Protection: pollutants it contains then flow directly into storm drainage systems. From there, it's carried without impacts from polluted runoff are gradual, but severe. The cumulative effects of polluted
treatment into our streams, ponds, reservoirs, Long Island Sound and Hudson River. stormwater runoff can make the water very unhealthy for fish, animals and people.
www.stormwatercenter.net
If we want to continue making progress, more effort is needed to control polluted stormwater runoff, It’s up to all of us to keep our water resources clean. Polluted runoff can be reduced
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: such as by fixing any oil and other fluid leaks on our cars, reducing the amount of fertilizers we use, significantly if everyone incorporates small preventive measures into their regular everyday
and washing our cars at commercial car washes where the water is recycled and/or filtered. And activities, such as properly disposing of pet waste or minimizing use of lawn fertilizers.
http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps
remember, don't dump! Only rainwater should go down a storm drain, not used motor oil or pet waste.
Improving water quality is a priority of What Can You Do? What Can You Do? What Can You Do? What Can You Do?
Westchester County Executive Andrew J. Spano Wash your car on a grassy area so the ground Scoop up pet waste. Use fertilizers sparingly. Lawns and many garden Check your car often for oil and fluid drips and
and the Westchester County Board of Legislators. can filter the water naturally. plants do not need as much fertilizer as you might other leaks and fix them promptly.
The Department of Planning, in partnership Flush it down a toilet, as long
think, especially if you use certain grasses and
with the Soil and Water Conservation District, Use soap sparingly and as it's not mixed with litter Have your car regularly tuned-up to reduce oil use.
native plants.
has advanced a number of initiatives to control use non-phosphate or other materials. This is
Use ground cloths or drip pans under your vehicle
polluted stormwater, including watershed detergents. the best method because Use slow-release fertilizers.
if you have leaks or are doing engine work.
planning, stormwater management and natural your septic system or
Use a high-pressure, Don’t fertilize just before a
resources restoration projects, and public community sewage plant Recycle used motor oil. Many auto supply stores,
low-volume hose forecasted heavy rain storm.
outreach and education. For more information, will treat the waste. car-care centers and gas stations accept used oil.
with a trigger
call (914)995-4400 or visit www.westchestergov. Use commercially available Some public works facilities also accept used oil.
nozzle to save Or seal the waste in a plastic
com/planning/environmental. compost or make your own using
water. bag and put it in the garbage. Clean up spills immediately. You can use kitty
yard waste. Mixing compost with
litter or sand to soak up the liquid. Properly
Empty your bucket Never dump pet waste or plastic bags soil means your plants will need
dispose of this material after the spill.
of used, soapy water containing waste into a storm drain. less chemical fertilizer and puts your
down the sink. waste to good use. Collect all used oil in containers with
If your community does not regulate pet waste,
tight-fitting lids. Do not mix waste
Best of all, take your car to a commercial encourage your local government to adopt a Compost may be available from your local public
oil with gasoline, solvents or other
car wash where the used water is captured, “pooper-scooper” ordinance. works facility or a garden store.
engine fluids. This contaminates
recycled and/or filtered to remove pollutants.
If your local parks do not provide pet waste Don’t bag grass clippings. Use a mulching lawn the oil, which may otherwise be
If you plan to hold a fund-raising car wash, stations, encourage them to do so. mower and naturally fertilize your lawn with the reused, and may form a more hazardous
try to have the cars washed on a permeable clippings. chemical.
surface where the soapy water can be absorbed
Wash your spreader and equipment on a pervious Never dump motor oil, antifreeze, transmission
into the ground.
area like a lawn, not on the driveway. This allows fluid, or other engine fluids down storm drains,
natural absorption of excess fertilizer. into road gutters, on the ground, or into a ditch.
Maintain a buffer strip of unmowed, natural
vegetation alongside streams, ponds and wetlands
to trap excess fertilizers and sediment.
T he Westchester County Department of Planning and Soil and Water Conservation District wish to thank the Washington State Department of Ecology
for these images, and Long Island Sound Study and New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission for sharing the brochure design.
Westchester County
Soil and Water Conservation District
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