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Paint
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Typical situation:
Pollution from paint usually comes from improper cleanup, but can
also occur from spills and dumping. |
Prevention:
Avoid painting outside when it is raining. Never clean brushes
or other painting equipment outside; never pour the rise water into
the storm system |
Proper Disposal & Cleanup: Never pour any type of paint directly down your sewer or septic
connected home drain. Do not clean up oil based paints into
septic systems. Minimize the amount of latex paint; small
amounts of latex paint can be set out to dry and disposed of with
garbage. Recycle or dispose large amounts of unused or
unusable paint at Kitsap County's
Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility.
Impact: All paints types, especially oil
based, are toxic. When those toxins make it into our
waterways, they can harm fish and other aquatic life.
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Car Fluids
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Proper Disposal & Cleanup:
Use cat litter to soak up small spills of oil, sweep up and
dispose of in the trash. Uncontaminated motor oil can be
recycled at local auto part stores and recycling facilities.
Dispose of large amounts of car fluids at Kitsap County's
Household Hazardous Waste Facility
(HHW).
Impact: Pollution from improper disposal and
dumping can affect fresh and salt water receiving waters. |
Typical Situation:
Car fluid spills can come from leaking cars, car accidents or
dumping. |
Prevention:
Fix all car leaks as soon as possible. Place a drip pan under
the vehicle while it is parked. Never dump used car fluids
into the storm system. |
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| Suds
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Typical Situation:
Some foams are natural in streams and on shorelines. Foam or suds
from soap or detergent is usually brighter white and accompanied
with a soapy smell. Sources include car washing, failing septic
systems or spills. |
Prevention:
Whenever possible, wash cars on grass or a place where the water
will not run into the storm system, or use a commercial car wash
where the runoff is specially handled.
--> Vehicle Wash Information |
Proper Disposal & Cleanup: When
possible, dispose of soapy water into a wastewater system.
Impact: All soaps can be harmful to the
environment. Biodegradable does not mean non-toxic, it may
take a long time for a "biodegradable soap" to break down. |
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Debris
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Typical Situation:
Often construction sites have a lot of bare soil which can
easily lead to erosion. Muddy water can leave the site many
ways: piped discharge, vehicle track-out, pressure washing and
sheet flow.
Proper Disposal & Cleanup: |
Prevention:
Proper Best Management Practices (BMP's) for building sites, like
silt fencing, wheel washes, and limiting exposed areas limits the
dirty water leaving the site.
Some construction activities like washed aggregate driveways can be
more of a challenge to contain, but with a little planning, the
water can be kept on site as required. |
All contaminated runoff from the site must be
treated before entering the storm system or natural waterway.
Impact:
Turbid water from construction sites can degrade
fish habitat and inhibit survival. Excess sedimentation can
clog pipes leading to flooding.
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Sewage
Septic system
discharge, leaky, broken or misconnected waste water pipes |
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Typical Situation:
Failing septic systems can discharge directly into the storm system.
Wastewater pipes can break or be misconnected during construction.
Usually sewage has a strong smell, sometimes looks sudsy and can
have solids present. |
Prevention:
Regularly pump your septic tank, typically every 3 years. If you
think you are having problems with your septic system call the
Kitsap Public Health District at (360) 337-5235, or see their
brochure
“Know Your OSS”. Know where your drains lead, gray water
discharges are serious pollution
sources and are sometimes not connected properly to septic or sewer. |
Proper Disposal & Cleanup: Avoid
contact with possible sewer or septic leaks. For home septic systems
call a pumping or maintenance professional. Usually public owned
systems are fixed and cleaned up by the local municipality.
Impact: Septic and sewer system releases can be
serious sources of pathogens and contaminants. Even small leaks can
close beaches to recreation and shellfish harvest.
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Litter
& Trash
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Typical Situation:
Solid waste can clog a storm system and cause flooding.
Depending on the waste, it can include other hazardous materials
like oil, paint, etc. |
Prevention:
Kitsap County Solid Waste conducts amnesty days for furniture
and yard waste. Make sure to keep your load covered and secure
when on the road. |
| Proper Disposal & Cleanup: All
trash should be disposed of at
drop off facilities or normal waste pickup. |
Impact: Metals and other
toxins can leach from trash left out in the rain.
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| Yard Waste
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Typical Situation:
When dumped into ditches, the street or ponds, yard waste can clog
the system and cause flooding. It can also add excess
nutrients into natural waters. |
Prevention:
Always contain yard wastes in secure covered piles on your property
for composting or disposal. Do not dump yard wastes in
ditches, ponds, beaches or into creeks.
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Proper Disposal & Cleanup:
Composting is a great way to recycle yard waste into a valuable
resource. Kitsap County Solid Waste also has information on
disposal and conducts amnesty days for yard waste.
Impact: Excess nutrients and pesticides can
leach from yard waste and into our natural waterways.
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| Farm
Animal Manure
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Typical Situation:
Manure from pastured animals can carry bacteria and nutrients into
the storm system. |
Prevention:
Keep farm animals away from streams and store manure away from
surface waters or under cover to avoid runoff. |
Proper Disposal & Cleanup:
Kitsap Conservation
District offers technical assistance to farms.
Impact: Farm animal manure increases the
bacterial loads to stream and marine waters, closing beaches for
recreation and shellfish harvesting.
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| Swimming
Pools & Hot Tubs
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Typical Situation:
The draining of pools and hot tubs can flush chlorinated water into
surface waters. |
Prevention:
Plan maintenance well in advance to ensure proper disposal. |
Proper Disposal & Cleanup:
Allow water to sit until there is no trace of chlorine and it is at
air temperature. If possible, send water to a wastewater
system, not septic. Call your waste water utility for
permission.
Impact: Chlorinated water can kill or harm
plants and animals.
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| Chemicals
& Fertilizers
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Typical Situation:
Old cans of chemicals (cleaners, solvents, pesticides, etc.) and
fertilizers are left in places where they can rust, leak or spill
easily. |
Prevention:
Limit purchases of toxic chemicals. Always keep chemicals and
fertilizers in dry cool places.
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Proper Disposal & Cleanup:
Dispose of unneeded or unused chemicals and fertilizers at the
Household
Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Facility, which also offers a
Swap Shop for items that can be reused.
Impact: Chemicals and fertilizers if disposed of
improperly can be long lived in the environment and hard to clean
up. |
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