Understanding Water Pollution Prevention: A Comprehensive Guide

Preventing water pollution is important to ensure we have safe water to use now and in the future. When water is polluted, it’s a threat to human, animal and plant health. There are many ways to prevent water pollution, such as using a broom instead of a hose to clean off your driveway or sidewalk, using a commercial car wash where water is filtered and recycled, maintaining your vehicle to prevent fluid leaks, and keeping pet waste out of compost piles and garden soil.

Preventing storm drain pollution

• Use a commercial car wash where water is filtered and recycled. If you wash your car at home, park it on grass or gravel to keep chemicals out of the storm drains.
• Maintain your vehicle to prevent fluid leaks. Fix leaks promptly. If you change your own oil, recycle it through curbside collection or take it to the SMaRT Station Recycling Center.
• Carry bags with you to pick up after pets. Only dispose of pet waste in the garbage. Pet waste contains harmful bacteria and parasites. Keep pet waste out of compost piles and garden soil.
• Use a broom instead of a hose to clean off your driveway or sidewalk.
• Wash your car less often or wash it at a car wash where they clean and recycle the water.
• Prevent toilet and sewer clogs which can lead to sewage overflows. Keep disposable wipes out of toilets. Keep fats, oil, and grease (FOG) out of drains. Read about clog prevention. Medications should not be flushed down toilets or drains or put in the garbage. Water treatment plants are unable to remove all pharmaceutical compounds. Small trace amounts can harm wildlife.
• Educate yourself and train your employees. Avoid fines by reviewing the EPA’s Best Management Practices (BMPs) for construction activities.

Keep fats, oil and grease out of drains

Water pollution is a threat to human, animal, and plant health. It is important to prevent water pollution to ensure that we have safe water to use now and in the future.

Keep fats, oil, and grease (FOG) out of drains. FOG can solidify in the pipes and block the flow of water, leading to clogged drains and sewage overflows. This can pollute the water and harm wildlife.

Use a broom instead of a hose to clean off your driveway or sidewalk. This will prevent dirt and debris from entering the storm drains.

Wash your car less often or wash it at a car wash where they clean and recycle the water. This will prevent chemicals and dirt from entering the storm drains.

Maintain your vehicle to prevent fluid leaks. Fix leaks promptly to prevent pollutants from entering the water system.

Use a commercial car wash

Water pollution prevention is important to ensure we have safe water to use now and in the future. When water is polluted, it’s a threat to human, animal and plant health.

Use a broom instead of a hose to clean off your driveway or sidewalk. Wash your car less often or wash it at a car wash where they clean and recycle the water.

Maintain your vehicle to prevent fluid leaks

Water pollution is a threat to human, animal, and plant health. It is important to prevent water pollution to ensure we have safe water to use now and in the future. Preventing water pollution can be done in many ways. Maintain your vehicle to prevent fluid leaks. Fix leaks promptly. Use a commercial car wash where water is filtered and recycled. If you wash your car at home, park it on grass or gravel to keep chemicals out of the storm drains. Use a broom instead of a hose to clean off your driveway or sidewalk. Wash your car less often or wash it at a car wash where they clean and recycle the water. Prevent toilet and sewer clogs which can lead to sewage overflows. Keep disposable wipes out of toilets. Keep fats, oil, and grease (FOG) out of drains. Medications should not be flushed down toilets or drains or put in the garbage. Water treatment plants are unable to remove all pharmaceutical compounds. Small trace amounts can harm wildlife. Find a local Med-Project disposal location.

Use a broom instead of a hose

Preventing water pollution is important to ensure we have safe water to use now and in the future. When water is polluted, it’s a threat to human, animal and plant health. A watershed is an area of land that drains into a common waterway. Sunnyvale is part of the 85 square mile West Valley watershed within Santa Clara County. Our creeks and channels catch rain and runoff from storm drains. These water bodies can collect pollution from water coming from storm drains. Then they carry that water directly into San Francisco Bay.

Prevent toilet and sewer clogs which can lead to sewage overflows. Keep disposable wipes out of toilets. Keep fats, oil and grease (FOG) out of drains. Read about clog prevention. Medications should not be flushed down toilets or drains or put in the garbage. Water treatment plants are unable to remove all pharmaceutical compounds. Small trace amounts can harm wildlife. Find a local Med-Project disposal location.

Use a commercial car wash where water is filtered and recycled. Find discounts on carwashes. If you wash your car at home, park it on grass or gravel to keep chemicals out of the storm drains. Maintain your vehicle to prevent fluid leaks. Fix leaks promptly.

Frequently asked questions