Our quality of life and health is greatly dependent upon the quality of our water. Fish and other wildlife also rely on the responsible stewardship of our natural resources. Activities in our homes, yards and communities have an effect on the quality of our water supplies. By learning about this connection, we can protect our waterways through prevention of what is known as "non-point source pollution."  This refers to the fact that surface water, through rain or melting snow, tends to pick up contaminants as it flows through a watershed. A watershed is an area of land which drains to a common basin, such as a stream or river. Prevention of pollutants entering our rivers and streams is of critical importance to our community and our habitats.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PREVENT WATER POLLUTION

Never dump household hazardous waste such as pesticides, fertilizers, paint or solvents into a storm drain, open waterway or ditch. Storm drains discharge directly to streams without the benefit of treatment, unlike the drains inside homes and businesses that connect to the sanitary sewer system. Beyond posing a threat to our health and environment, such dumping is illegal. Some household items contain hazardous materials, such as mercury (in old thermometers), and must be discarded in a responsible manner. For proper household hazardous waste disposal information, call the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) at 871-5100 or visit their web site at www.swaco.org.

Report Potentially Hazardous Spills or Dumping to 645-STREAM. If you see a potentially hazardous material flowing to a storm sewer, ditch or waterway, immediately call (614) 645-STREAM (7873) and the Ohio EPA at 1-800-282-9378.

• Choose native plants. Plants native to the central Ohio area thrive in our soil and weather conditions, requiring less water, fertilizer, pesticide and attention. Replace a patch of high-maintenance lawn with low-maintenance native perennial plants.
• Spot treat problem areas. The runoff of chemicals from fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides is a major cause of non-point source pollution. Follow the instructions carefully, apply only the recommended amount and use these products as sparingly as possible. Check the weather forecast to avoid having to repeat the application.
• Consider less toxic alternatives. Long-handled weed pullers grab dandelions easily, especially when the soil is moist. Allow beneficial insects like lady bugs and lacewings into your garden to feed on pests. For better success, replace diseased or problem plants with native varieties.
• Compost and mulch yard waste.
Build healthy soil by recycling organic material for plant growth. Use natural compost as opposed to chemical. For more information on composting, call 645-3153.
• Dispose of yard waste correctly.
Yard waste must be properly prepared and placed for collection. Leaves swept to the curb will not be collected in Columbus. Dumping yard waste into storm drains or waterways adds excess nutrients to the water and is illegal. For yard waste information, please call 311 or 645-3111.

• Pave less and landscape more. Pave only the area needed on your property.  Landscaped areas absorb water and generate less runoff than hard-surface areas.  Green space also provides a natural pollution filtering system. 
• Collect rainwater for future use. Catch spring and summer showers in a rain barrel to water plants on dry summer days.  Use soaker hoses or drip irrigation in flower and vegetable gardens to allow for deep, infrequent watering.
• Plant a rain garden. Add landscape interest and reduce the amount of stormwater entering the rivers.  Deep rooted native plants arranged in a bowl shaped garden slow and filter rainwater before it enters streams and rivers.
• Plant trees and shrubs. The roots hold water in the ground, slowing runoff and soil erosion. Trees can lower air conditioning costs too!

If your home has a drainage ditch or swale, do not fill it in.  Do not build anything over it and please keep it free of litter.

· Dispose of yard waste properly.  Yard waste must be placed in reusable containers marked "yard waste" or paper yard waste bags for collection.  Leaves swept to the curb will not be collected and can clog storm drains.  Dumping yard waste into storm drains or waterways is harmful to the rivers and is illegal.  For more information on proper yard waste disposal, call 311 or 645-3111.

Pet Waste
Remove pet waste from your yard and place it in the trash, bagged, or flush smaller quantities down the toilet.  Animal waste contributes to surface and ground water bacteria.

Household Kitchen Grease
Don’t dump grease into any indoor or outdoor drain.  Kitchen grease should be recycled or placed in a sealable container such as a lidded coffee can and thrown in your trash.  Grease can create sewer blockages and can cause sewer backups into basements and sewer overflows into waterways.

Please Don't Litter!
Trash left along our roadways, ditches and stream banks washes into our waterways through rain and melting snow.  Not only is littering illegal, it is an eyesore which can endanger wildlife and allow stagnant water to breed mosquitoes. Debris can also block drain inlets, preventing efficient drainage.

• Maintain vehicles to prevent leaking fluids from washing into stormwater.
• Absorb leaks on the driveway with sand or cat litter, then sweep and place in the trash.
• Wash cars at a commercial car wash, or over gravel, if possible to avoid the soapy runoff from entering the storm drains. Car wash businesses are required to dispose of the water through the sanitary sewer system, where it will be treated.
• Sweep debris from sidewalks and driveways instead of washing it away with water.

Please report any sewer problems such as blockages, unusual odor or suspected overflows by dialing 311 or 645-3111.

Volunteers are needed for litter cleanups along waterways and to help with the "No Dumping, Drains to Rivers" storm drain marking awareness project. Thess programs are the ideal community service activity for either an individual or a group, including youth groups and schools. Watershed cleanups are held each year, including during Central Ohio River Pride Month held annually in May, and other opportunities are available through your local watershed group. Call 645-2123 for more information or click here for more information about the Storm Drain Marking Program.

COLUMBUS' COMMITMENT TO WATER QUALITY

The Department of Public Utilities provides a variety of services to protect surface water quality. Those services include a comprehensive approach to stormwater management, best management practices and a sediment and erosion control program for managing the impact of construction sites on local waterways.  A Watershed Management program (Division of Power and Water) also protects drinking water source quality. The department participates in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), which is designed to help minimize the impact from agricultural activities occurring upstream. The department is regulated by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and must meet the requirements of various permits including the National Pollutant Elimination System stormwater discharge permit.

The We All Live Downstream public education program is part of DOSD's Project Clean Rivers initiative. The entire community, future generations and our aquatic wildlife benefit from Project Clean Rivers. 

FOR BUSINESSES

"Complying with Stormwater Runoff Requirements - Guidelines for Small Business" is available in PDF format.  You can get the Adobe Acrobat reader to read PDF files from the Adobe website.

Interested in Learning More About Water Protection?

Please visit the following government and non-profit organization links:

• Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission - Greenways Program
• The Ohio Environmental Council
• Ohio Department of Natural Resources
• Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Water Environment Federation
• Nature Conservancy
• Center for Watershed Protection

The Department of Public Utilities is a proud partner of  Get Green Columbus. 

For more information on the We All Live Downstream program, please email us at DOSD@columbus.gov.