WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS

Water Pollution Prevention Resources for Students and Educators School is back! Even though school may have taken a summer vacation, water pollution did not, and continues to be an ongoing concern. Everyday pollutants found in and around our homes can make their way through runoff into our storm drain system and eventually our waterways. Kids can play a key role in helping to prevent water pollution, improve water quality, and preserve the beauty of our waterways and ocean. But education is key! Check out these in-person and on-line resources and activities to help teach kids of all ages about water quality and pollution prevention just in time for the new school year. If you are not an educator but know one, pass this email on to them.

• I Love A Clean San Diego – Teach kids how to host a campus cleanup, carry out a trash can waste audit of its hidden treasures on the road to achieve zero waste, or build a vermicompost bin. Watch an educational video on the impact of water pollution on wildlife.
• San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) – Engage kids directly through hands-on and virtual activities including the virtually adapted mobile Splash Science Lab that the County of San Diego also helps to sponsor, the Patch Program for various youth groups, and educational and colorful posters and workbooks. Visit the SDCWA webpage for a complete list of school and teacher resources.
• County of San Diego Poo Points Program – Encourage kids to get involved in San Diego County’s award-winning Poo Points Program which engages youth in educating community members about protecting water quality by picking up dog waste on private property. For more information, contact the County at watersheds@sdcounty.ca.gov. For other tips to protect our waterways by managing pet waste, visit the County’s Pet Waste and National Love Your Pet Day Bulletin.
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – Access teaching support on a variety of environmental topics on the EPA’s student learning webpage which includes information on homework resources and lesson plans and project ideas. There are also great learning materials on key actions students can take to prevent pollution including reducing, reusing and recycling as well as participating in environmentally-focused community service projects. See how students across the nation are taking ‘greening’ to their communities in Service Learning: Education Beyond the Classroom.
• United States Geological Survey (USGS) – Involve students in understanding the many aspects of water quality, the water cycle, and water properties through the USGS’ Water Science School (Spanish). The school provides interactive activity centers, (Spanish, Chinese) as well as a wealth of other teacher’s resources such as water education posters, photo galleries, data, maps, and quizzes.

For additional resources on water pollution prevention, visit the County’s Watershed Protection Program Educational Handouts webpage.

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ONLINE SERVICES

Report Stormwater Pollution
Report observed pollution to the correct jurisdiction.

Citizen Access Portal
Research property information and permits. Apply for some permits online.

GIS Maps
Find property information including zoning designation with our web-based mapping tool. 

Watershed Protection Website
sandiegocounty.gov/stormwater

Project Clean Water efforts are focused on providing a centralized point of access to water quality information and resources for San Diego County Watersheds. Click HERE to visit Project Clean Water’s website.