Keep your car AND water clean. Driving a clean car is a real pleasure. But keeping the car clean can lead to polluting the waterways unless you think ahead. You can choose ways to clean your car AND keep our water supplies clean. Take your car to a professional car wash that reclaims the wash water. This prevents oil, grease and pollutants from washing into the storm drains. If you prefer a DIY approach, be sure to use an auto shutoff nozzle to prevent runoff and waste and skip the driveway. Wash on the lawn instead, using a biodegradable and phosphate-free cleanser.- Use alternatives to pesticides. Insects and other critters can damage your lawn, however, pesticides used to control these bugs can be damaging to our ecosystem. Common pesticides can leach onto water sources where they can cause harm to humans and aquatic organisms. Alternatives to pesticides include using organic fertilizer, applying seaweed, overseeding and applying dishwater soap to your lawn. More organic lawn care tips can be found here.
Take advantage of free hazardous waste disposal. It is illegal in California to toss household hazardous waste (HHW) into the trash. What counts as HHW? Common household items like motor oil and oil filters, paints, solvents, cleaners…even old batteries! Riverside County has three free household hazardous waste facilities located in Jurupa Valley, Lake Elsinore, and Palm Springs. These facilities will take up to 15 gallons, or 125 pounds of household hazardous waste per trip. Make it a habit to properly dispose of household hazardous waste at least once a month. For more information on hazardous waste facilities, click here.- Spread the word. We all live downstream so it is up to us to ensure our waterways are healthy and functional. Make it point educate your family, friends, and neighbors on watershed safety, health and tips. Start by sharing this blog post! Preventing water pollution is a team effort, be sure to do your part to help keep Riverside County clean.
