W E   A L L  L I V E  D O W N S T R E A M

your guide to preventing water pollution through everyday living

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 waterways. Prevention of pollutants entering our rivers and streams is of critical importance to our community and our habitats.  Activities in our streets, 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 contaminants in the collective runoff in a watershed through rain or melting snow.  A watershed is an area drained by a river system.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PREVENT WATER POLLUTION

Dispose of Household Hazardous Waste Properly

Never dump household hazardous waste such as pesticides, fertilizers, paint or solvents into a storm drain, open waterway or ditch. Beyond posing a threat to our health and environment, such dumping is illegal.  Some household items contain hazardous materials, such as mercury in thermometers, and must be disposed of properly to protect the environment and human health.  For proper household hazardous waste disposal information, call the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio at 871-5100 or visit their web site at www.swaco.org.

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.

· Use lawn care products such as fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides sparingly. The chemicals in the runoff from these products are a major cause of non-point source pollution.  Follow the instructions carefully, apply only the recommended amount and use these products only when necessary.  Check the weather forecast and related instructions to avoid having to repeat the application.  Consider more natural solutions such as pulling weeds by hand or with a tool. Fill in bare dirt areas with grass or ground cover to prevent weeds from returning.

· Plant trees and shrubs. The roots hold water in the ground, slowing runoff and soil erosion.  Trees can lower air conditioning costs too!

· Pave less;  landscape more. Pave only what is needed on your property.  Landscaped areas decrease the amount of runoff from impervious (non-penetrable) areas by absorbing the water.  Green space also provides a natural pollution filtering system. 

· 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.

Remove pet waste from your yard and place it in the trash, bagged.  Animal waste contributes to surface and ground water bacteria levels.

Don’t dump grease into any indoor or outdoor drain.  Either recycle it or place in a container such as a coffee can and place in your trash, sealed.  Grease is a frequent cause of sewer blockages and is harmful to the environment.

Trash left along our roadways, ditches and stream banks washes into our waterways through rain and melting snow.  In addition to being an eyesore and a danger to wildlife, debris can allow standing water to breed  mosquitoes.  Trash can also block storm drains, preventing proper drainage.

· Maintain your car. Leaking fluids are washed 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.

· 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 the "No Dumping, Drains to Rivers" storm drain marking awareness project. This program is the ideal community service activity for either an individual or a group.  Other volunteer opportunities include waterway litter clean-ups, such as Central Ohio River Pride, or other activities organized by your local watershed group.  Click here for more information.

COLUMBUS' COMMITMENT TO WATER QUALITY

The Department of Public Utilities provides a variety of services to protect surface water quality including 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 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.