What Are You Putting down the Street Drain? Spring Cleaning
My AR Sister Valerie Zinger posted a most excellent blog about putting a fish symbol on storm water lids and inlets. This is done to remind people that you should be careful of what your put in your neighborhood or any storm drain. These drains eventually lead to the ocean where unwanted additives can hurt plant life and all that live in the ocean. So be mindful...
SUGGESTED I hope everyone suggests this post too, so that it can get max exposure to a great big problem we have in all cities.
This morning I decided to clean the front porch. It is going to be warmer this week and I love to sit on the front porch and read, have a coffee and chat with the neighbours. When I was finished, I had two buckets of VERY dirty water. One had a couple of drops of dish soap in it and the other was just plain warm water that I used to rinse off the dirt. I determined that both buckets were safe to put down the sewer drain at the end of my driveway.
In Ottawa, many curb and street drain overs have a fish symbol on them to remind people that the water and material going in the drain is headed to a stream or lake. I wanted a couple of photos to show and went for a short walk in my neighbourhood this morning. Here are 2 photos I took of those drains.
We all live on and depend upon only the one planet. It is in our interest to keep it safe and clean. I found a website that lists the things that we should not put down the house or cithy drain.
Help keep our rivers clean. Don't use the sewer as a garbage can.
Things that go into the sewer through toilets, sinks or storm drains can end up in our rivers. You can help make a difference in the health of our waterways by following these proper disposal suggestions:
In your home or where you work
Put the following items in the garbage where they belong, instead of down the drain:
- cigarette butts
- dental floss
- condoms
- rags
- tampons and tampon applicators
- sanitary napkins
- disposable diapers
- human and pet hair
- cotton swabs
- cosmetics/makeup
- food scraps (an even better solution is to compost them or dig them into your garden)
- vegetable and animal grease, fats, oils (these substances can clog the sewer in your home and the City system and cause sewer backup)
In your yard and on the street
Anything on the ground can wash into the storm drains on streets and lanes and end up in the rivers, so:
- clean up your pet waste.
- check your vehicle regularly to make sure hazardous waste fluids, such as oil, antifreeze and gasoline, aren't leaking.
- don't litter.
- don't put grass clippings, leaves and other yard waste on the streets or into rivers – not only do they add harmful chemicals and nutrients to the rivers and clog storm drains...
Hazardous waste products, chemicals and prescription drugs
These potentially dangerous substances don't belong in the garbage or dumped down the drain – they need special handling.
- Dispose of hazardous waste products safely by taking them to a free household hazardous waste collection depot.Many chemicals can damage the sewer in your home and the City system. Plus, our wastewater treatment plants may not be able to remove them and they can end up in the river, harming fish and other aquatic life.
- Information on collection centres is also available by calling the recycling and garbage information line at 204-986-8888, code 9811 or contacting us
- These danger symbols can help you identify many hazardous waste products – e.g., corrosive, explosive, poison and flammable
- Take leftover or expired prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines to a pharmacy where they will be disposed of safely.
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