Ask a Teacher

Search



how can we save our water resources from pollution?
Some tips for cleaner waterways

1)Put cigarette butts in the bin, don't drop them on the street. Butts dropped in our streets get washed into stormwater drains and end up in our creeks and on our beaches. They account for about half of all litter found on our beaches.
2)Put litter in a bin or take it home. All litter dropped on the street follows the same path - through the stormwater system to our beaches and creeks.
3)Compost or mulch leaves and grass clippings, don't leave them in the gutter. Garden refuse washed into stormwater drains end up polluting our creeks and beaches. Clear your paths, driveways and gutters with a broom rather than a hose.
4)Don't allow paint, turps or chemical cleaners to enter drains. Dispose of unwanted chemicals, solvents and oils responsibly. Use regular chemical collections in your area to dispose of chemicals.
5)Wash your car on grass (if water restrictions allow) or at the car wash. Don't allow detergents to enter the gutter. If you use a commercial car wash, use one that recycles the wash water.
6)Have building supplies delivered to your site. If left on the footpath, pollutants will be swept into stormwater drains from the road or nature strip by the wind and rain.
7)When cutting bricks and pavers, do it over grassed areas or a container that collects the waste.
8) Don’t use antibacterial soaps or cleaning products.
 Most of these contain trichlosan, a registered pesticide that has been found to harm aquatic life. The American Medical Association warns that our use of antibacterial agents may lead to“superbugs” that will be antibiotic resistant. Regular soap and water kills germs just as effectively.
9) Never flush unwanted or out-of-date medicines down the toilet or the drain.
  Find out if your county or city has a site or program to collect unwanted pharmaceuticals. If not, remove all labels and wrap the products up before disposing in the garbage. If possible, pour water or vinegar in the bottle to destroy pills and make them inaccessible to children.
10) Don’t put anything except water down storm drains.
 These drains carry storm water to our local waterways, including San Francisco Bay, the Delta, and the Pacific Ocean. Used motor oil, detergents, lawn fertilizers, pesticides, and other contaminants get carried by storm water to local waterways and cause unnecessary harm.
11) Fix leaks that drip from your car and put down a liner in your driveway to collect oil and other materials.These leaks and drips contribute to storm water pollution.
12) Avoid using pesticides or chemical fertilizers.
They pose a serious threat to your health and safety and they pollute both groundand
 surface water.
13) Choose non-toxic household products whenever possible.
  The best way to keep from polluting is to use products that are not dangerous to the
 environment in the first place.
14) Pick up after your pets.
  Like other contaminants, pet waste can run down the storm drains, spreading bacteria.


comments powered by Disqus