What you can do:

In Your Community

• Be flood-ready: rake, sweep, and remove debris from storm drain catch basin grates.
• Help keep the streets and gutters clean. Sweep your sidewalks and driveways and pick up the debris instead of hosing it down the storm drain.
• Reduce automobile use by carpooling, riding the bus, bicycling, or walking.
• Wash your car at commercial car washes that recycle their wash water.
• Support businesses in your community that offer or use least toxic alternatives and practice pollution prevention.
• Encourage others to reduce, reuse, and recycle whenever they can.
• Report any illegal discharge into the storm drains.
• Participate in local events.

In Your Home

• When using chemicals, detergents and pesticides, use only the amount recommended by the manufacturer and use them according to the directions.
• Purchase household and garden products that are "least toxic" to the environment.
• Avoid purchasing oil-based paint.
• Rinse out water-based (latex) paint brushes in the sink or dispose of them in the trash.
• Find the nearest recycling center to dispose of your hazardous waste.
• Shovel up animal waste, seal it in bags, and throw it into the garbage. Animal waste can also be flushed down the toilet.

In Your Garden

• Purchase household and garden products that are "least toxic" to the environment.
• Sweep sidewalks and patios rather than hosing debris into gutters.
• Avoid using pesticides or herbicides on your yard and garden.
• Garden organically or use alternatives to chemicals whenever possible.
• Do not over-water lawns and gardens. Over-watering can flush large quantities of pesticides and fertilizer directly into storm drains.
• Take care of your lawn in an environmentally friendly way. Download the EPA booklet Healthy Lawn, Healthy Environment (a large PDF file).

In Your Garage

• Have your car tuned up regularly to make sure it is operating as cleanly as possible with no leaks of oil or other fluids.
• Find a location near you to recycle motor oil, anti-freeze and other automotive fluids.
• Fix car leaks right away.

Pesticides

• For the concerned citizen, EPA has a Web site devoted to information about where you can download a copy of the Citizen's Guide to Pest Control and Pesticide Safety (a very large PDF file).
• Use care in controlling pests around your home and in the garden. Check out the UC Davis Integrated Pest Management site for information about pest management and identification