Tips to Reduce Stormwater Runoff Pollution
- Choose water based paints and wash your brushes in the sink with water. Water from your plumbing goes to a pollution control plant before ultimately going back to the Delaware River.
- Reuse and recycle paint thinner. Don't pour it down the sink or drain. Take it to a local household hazardous waste disposal center.
- Place dog waste in the toilet or a trash can. Do not leave it on the yard, in the street or dispose of it in a storm drain! Pet waste introduces disease-causing bacteria into our water supply.
- Keep all litter off the street and place it in receptacles so that it does not get washed or blown down storm drains.
- Recycle product containers made of glass, plastic and aluminum.
- Service your car regularly to prevent gasoline, oil, brake and transmission fluids, and anti-freeze from leaking onto the pavement and washing into our streams.
- Use absorbent materials like kitty litter or toweling to soak up any spills, then sweep up and dispose of these items properly. Never dilute spills with water.
- Use fertilizers and herbicides only when necessary, and follow the directions carefully. Use natural, organic fertilizer and avoid applying any fertilizer before heavy rainfalls.
- Set your mower's height at 3 inches. Taller grass establishes deeper roots and healthier lawns which absorbs more stormwater.
- Compost leaves and grass clippings, and use it to enhance your garden's soil next year. Carefully bag any garden waste that you do not compost to keep it out of the storm drains.