Preventing stormwater pollution is easy, and it starts with you! The following tips were published by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 2003:

Vehicle and Garage

Use a commercial car wash or wash your car on a lawn or other unpaved surface to minimize the amount of dirty, soapy water flowing into the storm drain and eventually into your local waterways.

• Check your car, boat, motorcycle, and other machinery and equipment for leaks and spills. Make repairs as soon as possible. Clean up spilled fluids with an absorbent material like kitty litter or sand, and don’t rinse the spills into a nearby storm drain. Remember to properly dispose of the absorbent material.
• Recycle used oil and other automotive fluids at participating service stations. Don’t dump these chemicals down the storm drain or dispose of them in your trash.

Lawn and Garden

• Use pesticides and fertilizers sparingly. When use is necessary, use these chemicals in the recommended amounts. Avoid application if the forecast calls for rain; otherwise, chemicals will be washed into your local stream.
• Select native plants and grasses that are drought- and pest resistant. Native plants require less water, fertilizer, and pesticides.
• Sweep up yard debris, rather than hosing down areas. Compost or recycle yard waste when possible.
• Don’t over-water your lawn. Water during the cool times of the day, and don’t let water run off into the storm drain.
• Cover piles of dirt and mulch being used in landscaping projects to prevent these pollutants from blowing or washing off your yard and into local waterways. Vegetate bare spots in your yard to prevent soil erosion.

Home Repair and Improvement

• Before beginning an outdoor project, locate the nearest storm drains and protect them from debris and other materials.
• Sweep up and properly dispose of construction debris such as concrete and mortar.
• Use hazardous substances like paints, solvents, and cleaners in the smallest amounts possible, and follow the directions on the label. Clean up spills immediately, and dispose of the waste safely. Store substances properly to avoid leaks and spills.
• Purchase and use nontoxic, biodegradable, recycled, and recyclable products whenever possible.
• Clean paint brushes in a sink, not outdoors. Filter and reuse paint thinner when using oil-based paints. Properly dispose of excess paints through a household hazardous waste collection program, or donate unused paint to local organizations.
• Reduce the amount of paved area and increase the amount of vegetated area in your yard. Use native plants in your landscaping to reduce the need for watering during dry periods. Consider directing downspouts away from paved surfaces onto lawns and other measures to increase infiltration and reduce polluted runoff.

Pet Care

When walking your pet, remember to pick up the waste and dispose of it properly. Flushing pet waste is the best disposal method. Leaving pet waste on the ground increases public health risks by allowing harmful bacteria and nutrients to wash into the storm drain and eventually into local waterways.

Swimming Pool and Spa

• Drain your swimming pool only when a test kit does not detect chlorine levels.
• Whenever possible, drain your pool or spa into the sanitary sewer system.
• Properly store pool and spa chemicals to prevent leaks and spills, preferably in a covered area to avoid exposure to stormwater.

Tips to keep trash out of our waterbodies:

• Reduce the amount of trash and waste you create.
• Don’t litter. Always put trash in a trash can and recyclables in a recycling bin.
• Place grass clippings, leaf litter, branches, and weeds in your household’s green waste bin.
  
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• Do not dump any materials or pour anything down a storm drain.
• Don’t let trash blow out of the windows of your car.
• If hauling materials in the back of a pickup truck, cover the materials with a secured tarp.

And most of all, remember that if it isn’t rain, it doesn’t belong down the drain.

You can also help by disposing household chemicals and wastes properly. The Regional Waste Management Authority operates a household hazardous waste facility (HHHW) at 134 Burns Drive in Yuba City. The facility accepts all household hazardous wastes listed on the enclosed brochure free of charge. Hours are from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Saturdays only. For more information visit the HHHW website at https://www.yubasutterrecycles.com/household-hazardous-waste.