Only rain in the storm drain

Mission Resource Conservation District (MRCD) reminds residents that now that the rainy season is here, it is time to remember the consequences of water runoff. Most people are unaware that storm drains are not connected to sewer systems and treatment plants, and as a result, all contaminants in our streets and gutters end up in our creeks, rivers and oceans. The storm drain system is designed only as a deterrent to flooding, not as a filtering or disposal process.

Everyone can help keep the water clean by following the following basic rules:

• Sweep or rake. Do not use a hose to wash off sidewalks, driveways and patios; sweep up debris and put it in a trash can. The debrwis blocks the drains and organic matter rots and reduces the dissolved oxygen in the water that is essential to aquatic life.

• Reduce the use of landscape chemicals. Consider using nontoxic pest control methods. Avoid over-watering, which washes pesticides, weed-killers and chemical fertilizers into the gutter and storm drains. Be aware that “biodegradable” products need time to break down before they are safe. When biodegradable products enter a creek, they are generally still toxic and can kill animals and plants. It doesn’t take much to pollute an aquatic system. If a single paintbrush is rinsed out containing latex paint and the water is allowed to run into the gutter, enough chemicals would be released to compromise one-quarter mile of stream habitat.

• Flush responsibly. Don’t pour household products such as corrosive cleansers, beauty products, medicine, paint and lawn-care products down the drain. Wastewater treatment facilities are designed to treat organic materials, not hazardous chemicals. Hazardous chemicals poured down the drain end up in rivers, lakes and coastal waters. These items need to be recycled at Household Hazardous Waste Collection events.

• Never drain a pool or spa into a street or storm drain. Dispose of pool/spa water in a domestic drain. Pool water often contains copper, in addition to the obvious chlorine, that is deadly to fish and aquatic life.

• Wash cars on the lawn or other unpaved surface. Do not let the water run into the gutter. Soap, even in small amounts, will not harm a lawn but can harm fish and other aquatic life.

According to Judy Mitchell, MRCD district manager, “If everyone follows these basic rules, we can reduce the pollution of our creeks, rivers and oceans.”

For more information on how to prevent polluting our water, contact Mitchell at (760) 728-1332 or stop by the office at 990 East Mission Road and pick up one or more of the many publications MRCD has available on this and similar topics.