When you use chemicals on your lawn or on your plants, rain can wash it down into the storm drain. You may not use a lot of chemicals, but 500,000 residents fertilizing their lawn on Saturday can cause a problem when it rains on Sunday morning. Since storm drains flow directly into the ocean, the chemicals that we use on our lawn can end up polluting our ocean.

Here are some home gardening tips to prevent storm water pollution:

Use chemicals as needed
Use pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers only as needed. This will save you money and help reduce the chances of rain washing it down the storm drain.

Dispose of grass clippings
After mowing your lawn, pick up the grass clippings and throw them in the trash so the rain does not send them into the storm drain. Fertilizers and grass clippings can cause algae blooms, which use up all the oxygen in the water. This harms fish, coral and stream life because they cannot survive in water with low oxygen levels.

Collect rainwater in barrels
Use rain barrels to collect rainwater from rooftops in mosquito-proof containers. The water can be used later on lawn or garden areas. This also prevents gravel and oil from your roof from getting into the storm drain system.

Plant native foliage
When you’re planning out your garden, design areas with native plants to provide natural places for rainwater to collect and soak into the ground. Rain from the rooftop or paved areas can be diverted into these areas rather than into storm drains.

Trap sediment with native foliage
Use native grass or plants along the edge of roadways or streams. When it rains, these plants work well to trap any excess chemicals or dirt in the rainwater as it flows across driveways and streets, ensuring that less of these harmful substances are flushed into our ocean.

When you allow your car wash water to flow down your driveway and into the street, that dirty water could flow into a storm drain! And we all know that storm drains flow directly into the ocean. Untreated!

So, if the wash water contains detergent and gunk from your car or truck, guess what you can expect to find floating around in the ocean? Not only does it pollute the water, but the of black stuff that washes off your car can contain compounds of harmful heavy metals like lead and mercury. These flow into our streams and oceans, affecting aquatic life. Heavy metals concentrated in fish like tuna are particularly harmful to pregnant women and infants.

Here are some car care tips to prevent storm water pollution:

Refrain from dumping auto fluids
Do not dump automotive fluids (e.g., antifreeze, brake fluid) into storm drains or let it run down the street where the rain could wash it down the storm drain. That would have the same result as dumping the materials directly into our oceans!

Fix leaks quickly
If your car is leaking fluids, try to get it fixed as soon as possible to prevent excessive leakage on the streets and in your driveway, where rain can wash it down the storm drains.

Dispose of auto batteries responsibly
Give your old auto batteries to the dealer when purchasing new ones or take them to the City Convenience Center nearest you. Batteries contain strong harmful chemicals that could hurt children who might touch or play with them. Old or damaged batteries can easily leak these harmful chemicals onto the ground to be washed into the ocean after a storm.

Refrain from dumping oil
When changing oil, use an oil change box to absorb all of the dirty oil and throw it away in the trash.

Dispose of oil responsibly
No oil change box? Just pour it into a plastic bag with plenty of absorbent material to soak it up, then seal the bag and toss it in with the rest of your trash. Motor oil contains many harmful metals that damage our reefs and favorite swimming areas.

Have your oil changed professionally
Don’t want to mess with the used oil? Consider having your oil changed at a service station.

Don’t wash your car on your driveway
Consider taking your car to a commercial car wash that treats or recycles its waste water, or wash your car on grass so the water is filtered into the ground.

When the contractor comes to dig up the backyard to build that extension you always wanted, it’s possible that dirt, silt, oils and chemicals could become exposed. When it rains, the water carries these pollutants into the storm drains and out to the ocean where it can harm our reefs and pollute our waters.

Here are some construction tips to prevent storm water pollution:

Reduce excavated dirt
If possible, work with your contractor to reduce the amount of dirt that is excavated. It will save you money and prevent the dirt from polluting the ocean.

Get landscaping done quickly
If you plan to have landscaping, try to get the landscaping contractor in as soon as possible to prevent dirt from being exposed to the rain for too long.

Install permeable pavement
Ask your contractor about putting in permeable pavement wherever possible. This will allow more rainwater to soak into the ground and recharge our aquifers rather than draining into our streams and oceans.

Follow BMPs
If you decide to do-it-yourself rather than hire a contractor, educate yourself on the types of permits that are required. Best management practices (BMPs) should be used to prevent or treat the water that flows out of your yard and into the storm drains.

Large agricultural areas provide lots of space to raise livestock. But many large areas also include streams. Livestock or wild animals that walk in streams can contaminate the water with bacteria, making it unsafe for human contact. In addition, when it rains, large agricultural lots often times drain out to roadways, where water laden with dirt, fertilizers, and other chemicals can enter storm drains and flow directly to the ocean.
Click on the button below to download An Agricultural/Landscaping Guide to Understanding Storm Water, or browse the following tips to prevent storm water pollution.

Keep animals away from streams
If you own livestock, keep them away from stream banks and provide a source of water away from natural waterways.

Keep fertilizers and vegetation out of streams
Store and apply manure and other fertilizers away from streams. When mowing or harvesting, properly dispose of vegetative material. Fertilizers and vegetative material can cause algae blooms, which use up all the oxygen in the water. This harms fish, coral and stream life because they cannot survive in water with low oxygen levels.

Create buffer zones
Plant vegetation along stream banks, preferably native species, creating a thick buffer to help prevent livestock and wild animals from easily getting into the stream. Also, when it rains, native plants work well to trap any excess fertilizers, chemicals or dirt in the rainwater as it flows across the fields, ensuring that less of these harmful substances are flushed into our ocean.

Prevent soil erosion
Rotate animal grazing to prevent soil erosion in fields. Erosion results in the loss of nutrient-rich soil that is needed for crops to grow. When it rains, the water carries any loose soil and dirt into the streams where it can cause flooding.

Adhere to label instructions
Apply fertilizers and pesticides according to label instructions to save money and minimize pollution from excess chemicals washing out into streams and the ocean.

Do you dispose of your household hazardous waste properly?

Some of the products you use at home are potentially hazardous. Safe handling and proper disposal of these materials will protect you, your family and our environment.

Download Hazardous Waste Disposal Flyer 

The following materials require special handling and should be disposed of at a household hazardous waste collection event.

Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events for 2020: