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Things Residents Can Do to Help

Water quality starts at home. Water quality affects us all; our health, quality of life, property values. The health of our waters is important to our local economy because visitors and locals alike fish, dive, visit the beaches, and eat the seafood. Poor water quality has a negative impact on all of these activities, and can even damage our health under severe conditions. Everyday activities impact our water resources; those impacts increase as our population increases.

Good water quality first comes from how we manage our day-to-day lives and then how we manage our stormwater run-off as a community. It is far more expensive to take pollutants out of water than it is to prevent pollution in the first place. Prevention is the key!

• Lawn Care Tips

• Do not apply any fertilizer before a rain event – before it can be absorbed, it can run off into waterways. Now the waterways are being fertilized.
• Mow tall. Set your mower deck at 3 inches.
• Keep grass clippings on the lawn; clippings act as a natural fertilizer and should be kept out of our stormwater systems.
• Consider mowing less in the dry season. Once per month may be adequate.

• Car Washing Tips

• Park your car on the lawn, not the driveway, when you wash it.
• Use a bucket instead of a hose.
• Chose phosphate-free soap.
• Let the wash water soak into the grass, not a storm drain.

• Septic Tank Tips

• Pump your tank every 4 to 5 years.
• Avoid "flushable wipes." These are four times thicker than toilet paper.
• Protect your drain field from gutter discharge, parking and plantings.
• Distribute your laundry loads over the week.
  

• Only Rain Down the Storm Drain!

• Never put any waste down a storm drain. This includes fertilizer, herbicides, motor oil, paints, grass, dirt and pet waste.
• Used motor oil is accepted at any auto parts store free of charge.
• The Lee County Household Chemical Waste Collection facility is also free of charge and will accept these products.