Pet Waste

Experts say that 80% of pet owners do not consistently and properly dispose of their pet’s waste in a sanitary manner. Roundworms, E. coli, and Giardia are just a few of the many harmful microorganisms that can be transmitted to humans from pet waste. Some can last in your yard for as long as four years if not cleaned up. Children who play outside and adults who garden are at greatest risk of infection. Experts say that by the year 2025, most of our lakes and rivers could be so contaminated, that recreational activities like swimming could be deemed unsafe, mainly from a high risk of exposure to disease causing bacteria generated from pet waste. In fact, many cities, especially beaches, have already experienced record breaking beach closings, largely in part to pet waste that has entered the water. In return, they have been forced to issue fines to pet owners who disregard their responsibility to clean up after their pets.

Sewage

Sewage discharges can have a significant impact on our waterways and the aquatic species that inhabit them. Sewage contains many viruses, bacteria, and diseases that pose an immediate threat to the health of humans and wildlife. Dysentery, typhoid fever, viral and bacterial gastroenteritis, and Hepatitis A are just a few of the diseases that can be transmitted to humans.

Sewage discharges can occur through sanitary sewer discharges and/or failing septic systems. However, most sewage discharges occur as a result of poor septic system maintenance. If a residence is using a septic tank, it is the homeowner’s responsibility to make sure that their septic tank is maintained properly. Find out more information about septic tank maintenance to help protect our waterways.

Oil and Automotive Fluids

Homeowners who change their vehicle’s oil and work on their cars at home should be aware that the discharge of pollutants from their activities into the storm drainage system, or into surrounding water bodies is prohibited by local ordinance and state & federal law. In fact, such discharges can result in severe penalties. Typical pollutants generated by automotive activities include wastewater from car washing, motor oil, brake dust, sanding waste, filler residue, paints, thinners, plating wastes, and other automotive fluids. These pollutants can pose a serious threat to water quality and all aquatic species. It is your responsibility to keep pollutants from your home out of the storm drainage system and local waterways. One gallon of oil, for example, can contaminate 1,000,000 gallons of water. We only need to look at the Valdez oil spill to witness how oil can affect our water quality and the species that inhabit those waters. Add in other automotive chemicals and the threat becomes an even greater problem.

Trash

Everywhere you look, it seems as if trash is all too visible. From road sides to streams, trash is an even greater problem than we could have ever imagined. What is thrown on a roadside, could ultimately be washed into a storm drain and then into a creek, stream, river, or lake. It is estimated that 25-30 tons of trash are in each major stream in York County.  In fact, after only 4 stream clean ups, County staff removed an astounding 10 tons of trash out of a stream around just one subdivision!  One piece of trash might not seem like a lot to one person, but if every person threw one can out of their car on a given day, that’s ~160,000 cans!  Add that up over the course of a year and that’s 58,400,000 cans!  Littering is illegal and law enforcement officials are looking for drivers and pedestrians who litter.  Nobody wants a fine.

Fertilizer

Stormwater pollution from poorly applicated and excessive use of fertilizer has become one of the fastest growing problems in water quality today. Most individuals add fertilizer without knowing exactly how much is needed or if any is needed at all. Others over-water their lawns after application, which creates runoff and transports fertilizer into the storm drainage system. If fertilizer runoff comes into contact with slow moving water, like in a pond or lake, the fertilizer will feed microorganisms called algae. The result? Algal blooms will form and deplete our fresh waters of dissolved oxygen. The effect? Fish kills. In fact, fish kills are quite common in areas of excessive fertilizer use. The Chesapeake Bay area has been forced to regulate residential fertilizer use to protect the environment and reverse the negative effects that have already weakened the ecosystem.

Pesticides

Pesticides used on our lawns and around our house can have serious effects on water quality and the aquatic species that inhabit them. Even small amounts of pesticides are extremely toxic and can disrupt the food chain within a whole ecosystem. What was meant to kill bugs around your house, can be transported in the form of runoff and kill many variations of aquatic species. Because pesticides are highly soluble in water, contamination of fresh waters makes treatment and filtration very difficult. Even after treatment at a water treatment plant, pesticides can still be found in small traces in your water supply. A number of common home pesticides used in the 1990s have been taken off of the market due to recorded illnesses and sickness in children. Although application of pesticides is always in good intention, the negative effects always outweigh the positives.

Household Chemicals

Household chemicals used in and around our house should never be dumped into the storm drainage system! Most household chemical are very toxic, which can harm our waterways and the species that inhabit them. Fish and other aquatic species are very sensitive to a waterway’s natural balance of pH and dissolved oxygen. Allowing these chemicals to enter our waterways in even small amounts can severely alter that natural balance. York County offers a Household Hazardous Material Day for on several occasions throughout the year. Items that can be taken and collected include latex and oil based paint, used motor oil, lawn and garden pesticides and fertilizers, leftover cleaners, tires, automobile batteries, antifreeze, etc. The events are offered to residents only; Business collection will not be taken! For more information, click on the link HHMD or navigate to the Solid Waste Collection and Recycling Department’s website here.

Yard Waste

During the summer and fall seasons, yard waste increases dramatically. Clippings, leaves, and grass are often placed carelessly by the roadside or on the road itself only to be blown away or washed away by stormwater. Yard waste acts much like fertilizer in that it contains nutrients that can feed algae which ultimately can create algal blooms in downstream waters. Like fertilizer, this can lead to fish kills. If washed into the storm drainage system, yard waste can also clog stormwater drains and pipes, which inhibits the designed flow and could result in flooding. If waste does happen to flow through the storm drainage system, it is still washed into our creeks, streams, rivers and lakes. With urbanization increasing at such a rapid rate, the negative effects of yard waste will also continue to increase if measures are not taken to prevent it.