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Non-Point Source Pollution
Education Campaign
What is the Non-Point Source Pollution
Education Campaign?
Washington State Department of Ecology received a grant from the Environmental
Protection Agency to create nonpoint source pollution educational materials
and was encouraged to distribute them among other environmental organizations
and government agencies. The result was a series of television commercials
and posters that aimed to increase public awareness about the pollution
we produce through everyday activities. The Tributary Strategies Program
received these materials and has worked with the local government contacts
in Maryland to air the 2-30 second commercials on their local cable
stations. Also, WBOC-TV 54 in Salisbury aired these commercials for
several weeks in the fall of 2001. Here you can see the resulting Non-Point
Source Pollution Education Campaign.
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Clean water is important to all of us
It's up to all of us to make it happen. In recent years, sources of
water pollution like industrial wastes from factories have been greatly
reduced. Now, more than 60 percent of water pollution comes from things
like cars leaking oil, fertilizers from farms and gardens, and failing
septic tanks. All these sources add up to a big pollution problem. But
each of us can do small things to help clean up our water too. And that
adds up to a pollution solution!
Why do we need clean water?
Having clean water is of primary importance for our health and economy.
Clean water provides recreation, commercial opportunities, fish habitat,
drinking water and adds beauty to our landscape. All of us benefit from
clean water. And all of us have a role in getting and keeping our lakes,
rivers, marine and ground waters clean.
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What's
the problem with car washing?
There's no problem with washing your car. It's just how and where
you do it. The soap, together with the dirt and oil washed from
your car, flows into nearby storm drains which run directly into
lakes, rivers or marine waters. Soap detergents (including the
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| biodegradable detergents)
can have a poisonous effect on all types of aquatic life. Detergents
can also cause severe damage to the gills, and destroy the external
mucus layers that protect fish from bacteria and parasites. Additionally,
too much soap in the water can make it difficult for aquatic organisms
to get the oxygen from the water they need to survive.
Clean Water tip:
How can you wash your car and help keep our waters clean?
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Use soap sparingly. Use a hose nozzle with a trigger to save
water.
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Pour your bucket of soapy water down the sink when you're
done, not in the street. Or wash your car on a grassy or gravelly
area so the ground can filter the water naturally.
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Best of all, take your car to a commercial car wash, especially
if you plan to clean the engine or the bottom of your car.
Most car washes re-use wash water several times before sending
it to the sewer system for treatment.
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| What's
the problem with fertilizer?
Fertilizer isn't a problem if it's used carefully. If you use
too much fertilizer or apply it at the wrong time, it can easily
wash off your lawn or garden into storm drains and then flow
untreated into lakes or streams. Just like in your garden, fertilizer
in lakes and |
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| streams makes plants grow. In water
bodies, extra fertilizer can mean extra algae and aquatic plantgrowth.
Too much algae harms water quality and makes boating, fishing
and swimming unpleasant. As algae decay, they use up oxygen
in the water that fish and other wildlife need.
Clean Water tip:
How can you fertilize and help keep our waters clean?
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Use fertilizers sparingly. Many plants do not need as much
fertilizer or need it as often as you might think.
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Don't fertilize before a rain storm.
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Consider using organic fertilizers; they release nutrients
more slowly.
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Use commercially available compost or make your own using
garden waste. Mixing compost with your soil means your plants
will need less chemical fertilizer and puts your waste to
good use. Commercial compost and soil amendments may be
available from your solid waste or wastewater utility as
well as your local garden store.
For more information on fertilizing alternatives and composting,
contact:
- Your County Extension's Master Gardeners program
- Univ. of Maryland, Cooperative Extension’s Home and Garden
Info Center
1-800-342-2507
- Univ. of Maryland, Cooperative Extension’s “HomeWork” Program
(Info. on what MD residents can do to help protect water
quality, their health and the environment in general)
301-432-2767x326
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What's
the problem with motor oil?
Oil does not dissolve in water. It lasts a long time and sticks
to everything from beach sand to bird feathers. Oil and other
petroleum products are toxic to people, wildlife and plants.
One pint of oil can make a slick larger than a football field.
Oil that leaks from our cars onto roads and |
| driveways is washed
into storm drains, and then usually flows directly to alake
or stream. Used motor oil is the largest single source of oil
pollution in our lakes, streams and rivers. Americans spill
180 million gallons of used oil each year into our waters. This
is 16 times the amount spilled by the Exxon Valdez in Alaska.
Clean Water tip:
How can you use and change your motor oil and help keep our
waters clean?
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Stop drips. Check for oil leaks regularly and fix them
promptly. Keep your car tuned to reduce oil use.
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Use ground cloths or drip pans beneath your vehicle if
you have leaks or are doing engine work. Clean up spills
immediately. Collect all used oil in containers with tight
fitting lids. Do not mix different engine fluids.
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Never dispose of oil or other engine fluids down the storm
drain, on the ground or into a ditch.
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Recycle used motor oil. Many auto supply stores and gas
stations will accept used oil.
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Buy recycled (re-refined) motor oil to use in your car.
To find out more about where you can take used oil for recycling,
contact:
- The Department of Ecology's 1-800-RECYCLE line
- Maryland Environmental Services-county oil recycling centers
http://www.mes.state.md.us/
- Recycling, Oil and General
(Locations of recycling centers and info on hazardous waste
collection days)
1-800-473-RECYCL (473-2925)
- Save Our Streams
(Storm drain stenciling projects or overall waterway protection
projects)
1-800-448-5826
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| What's
the problem with pet waste?
It's a health risk to pets and people, especially children.
It's a nuisance in our neighborhoods. Pet waste is full of bacteria
that can make people sick. If it's washed into the storm drain
and ends up in a lake, stream or marine water, the bacteria
ends up in |
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| shellfish. People who eat
those shellfish can get very sick. The waste produced by Seattle's
dogs and cats is about what a citythe size of Renton or Kennewick
-- about 50,000 people -- would produce. Unless people take
care of it, the waste enters our water with no treatment.
Clean Water tip:
How can you get rid of pet waste and help keep our waters clean?
Here are some options.
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Scoop it up and flush it down the toilet. That's best because
then your community sewage treatment plant or your septic
system treats the pet waste.
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Seal the waste in a plastic bag and throw it in the garbage.
(This is legal in most areas, but check local laws.)
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Bury small quantities in your yard where it can decompose
slowly. Dig a hole one foot deep. Put three to four inches
of waste at the bottom of the hole. Cover the waste with
at least eight inches of soil. Bury the waste in several
different locations in your yard and keep it away from vegetable
gardens.
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*all photos provided by Washington State Department
of Ecology |