WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS
Mother’s Day and Mother Ocean Day: A Celebration of Kindness for Both
May is a great month to remind us of the importance of mothers in our lives – not only our own mother on Mother’s Day (May 14th), but also our mother ocean on Mother Ocean Day (May 10th). Why not show appreciation to both by sharing in some of the household tasks that not only ease mom’s household workload, but also help prevent water pollution? If not properly managed, pollutants associated with household chores like cleaning up around the house (trash/yard debris), helping in the garden (pesticides/fertilizers), and washing the car (detergents/auto fluids), can flow into our storm drains and eventually enter our ocean without being treated. Here are ways you can prevent ocean pollution AND put a smile on Mom’s face this Mother’s Day!
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Clean up around the house – By helping mom clean up around the house, you’re also preventing household pollutants from leaving the property. Sweep up yard debris and pick up trash and pet waste and place them in the appropriate bins, ensuring that lids are secure. Properly sort through your recyclables following the guidelines of the County’s Recycle Right program. Clean out your cabinets and garage looking for unwanted toxic products like pesticides, fertilizers, paint, detergents, or automobile fluids and take them to your local household hazardous waste (HHW) facility where they can safely be disposed of.
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Garden planning and maintenance – Surprise Mom with some native plants by visiting the San Diego Chapter of the California Native Plant Society website for a list of local native plant nurseries. Native plants not only save water, but they also reduce the need for fertilizers or pesticides. As a bonus, established plants prevent soil and sediment erosion. Commit together to learning about native gardening and ways to prevent irrigation runoff by participating in free online landscape and gardening classes offered through the San Diego County Water Authority’s WaterSmart Program or the Green Gardens Group. Help mom maintain a beautiful garden by learning about the benefits of nutrient-rich composting or even building a do-it-yourself compost bin. Not only does composting help plants thrive, but it also prevents food scraps from going to the landfill.
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Vehicle washing – To prevent harmful detergents from flowing into our storm drains, take mom’s car to a commercial car wash. If you want to give it that personal touch, wash it on permeable surfaces like a lawn, gravel, or pavers, so that the water can soak into the ground rather than run off into the street. While you wash, use a hose with a trigger nozzle to save water and use soap sparingly. When you are done, pour your soapy water down the sink or into a landscaped area instead of the street.
The County of San Diego wishes all moms, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, and ALL mother figures the happiest of Mother’s Days! Thank you for all you do to in helping to ‘mother’ our environment, protect the quality of our water, and preserve the beauty of our waterways now and for our future generations!
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Find My District
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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
Learn more about available water quality rebates that you could apply to your property!
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.
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