Storm Drains Connect Streets to Creeks

Communities can unknowingly impact local waterways through everyday activities, even when we are in a drought. It’s simple really, the Storm Drains you see in our streets, yards, and parking lots, flow untreated directly to local creeks, rivers, bays and the Pacific Ocean. When we are experiencing low rain fall, the concern moves away from what that natural storm water might carry into our waterways, and instead lies with locally supplied water (i.e. sprinklers), or wind. Any material left outside can be transported into our waterways.

If you take a moment to think about it, that small piece of trash that has been sitting in the gutter, the remaining fertilizer lingering in the flower beds, the bacteria and pathogens from forgotten pet waste, with the addition of water, and in some instances wind, all of these contaminants will travel directly into our creeks. The good news is there’s a lot we can do, with some simple changes, that will have great impact.

So while you are working to save water because of the drought, you can also work to protect our creeks and rivers.