OCGov

TipStormwater Smart

  • Follow directions on pesticides and fertilizers, (measure, do not estimate amounts) and do not use if rain is predicted within 48 hours.
  • Water your lawn and garden by hand to control the amount of water you use.
  • Set irrigation systems to reflect seasonal water needs. If water flows off your yard and onto your driveway or sidewalk, your system is over-watering.
  • Mulch grass clippings or leave them on the lawn. If necessary, dispose in a green waste container.
  • Prevent urban runoff by taking your car to a commercial car wash whenever possible.
  • When cleaning around the house choose soaps, cleaners, or detergents labeled “non-toxic,” “phosphate free” or “biodegradable.”
  • When cleaning your car, shake floor mats into a trash can or vacuum to clean.
  • Take your vehicle to a commercial carwash where the washwater is recycled and sent to the sanitation district.
  • Use a nozzle to turn off water when not actively washing down your car.
  • Monitor vehicles for leaks and place pans under leaks. Keep your car well maintained to stop and prevent leaks.
  • Use cat litter or other absorbents and sweep to remove liquids left by vehicles or any other kind of outdoor “wet spill.”
  • Perform automobile repair and maintenance under a covered area and use drip pans or plastic sheeting to keep spills and waste material from reaching storm drains.
  • Never pour oil or antifreeze in the street, gutter or storm drains. Recycle these substances at a service station or used oil recycling center.
  • Store household hazardous waste (HHW) in closed, labeled containers inside or under a cover and dispose of them at an HHW collection center.
  • Do not hose down your driveway, sidewalk or patio. Sweep up debris and dispose of it in the trash.
  • Always pick up after your pet. Flush waste down the toilet or dispose of it in the trash.
  • Bathe pets indoors or have them professionally groomed.

Love Blue / Live Green

Everyone wants lawns that are neat, clean and attractive.  By following these simple tips you can have both a green lawn and blue ocean.

  • TipNEVER USE PESTICIDES OR FERTILIZERS WITHIN 48 HOURS OF AN ANTICIPATED RAINSTORM

WHY?

    • The same pesticides that are designed to be toxic to pests can have an equally lethal impact on our marine life. The same fertilizer that promotes plant growth in lawns and gardens can also create nuisance algae blooms, which remove oxygen from the water and clog waterways when it decomposes.

A BETTER IDEA

    • Use only as much pesticides and/or fertilizer as is directed on the label and keep these potential pollutants off of driveways and sidewalks.

  • TipDo not overwater. 

WHY?

    • Overwatering both wastes water and carries pollutants into the storm drain system and into our creeks, rivers, bays and ocean.

A BETTER IDEA

      • USE SMART IRRIGATION CONTROLLERS – New state-of-the-art sprinkler systems known as “smart irrigation controllers” have sensors that turn off the sprinklers in response to environmental changes such as rain, high wind or very cold weather.
      • SET A TIMER FOR YOUR SPRINKLERS – Time your sprinklers; when water begins running off your lawn, you can turn them off.  Your timer can be set to water your lawn for this duration every time.
      • WATER AT SUNRISE – Watering early in the morning will reduce water loss due to evaporation.
      • WATER BY HAND – Hand-watering ensures that all plants get the proper amount of water and you will prevent any water runoff