With warmer weather, many people are working in their yards and that means being mindful of storm water and working to keep pollutants out of the storm drains.
Storm water is rain, sleet, hail and snow. It is not treated, and any pet waste, litter, and lawn clippings are carried away into the storm drain system and directly into the nearest river, lake or stream.
Jenny Hardman talked with Dawn Barbee, Sandy City's Storm Water Coordinator who is also a member of the Salt Lake County Storm Water Coalition.
She says we all must be good stewards by cleaning the curb and gutter of our homes.
Minimize chemicals, sweep fertilizers off of sidewalks and driveways back onto the lawn.
If you wash your car at a commercial car washing business, they recycle the water.
If you do wash your car at home, Dawn says make sure the water stays on your property. Accomplish this by parking on the lawn.
When you power wash, make sure to keep the water on your property.
Dawn says pet waste is a huge problem as it contains E coli, which is bad for human health. Make sure to always throw that in the trash!
You can learn more at stormwatercoalition.org.
