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Most water pollution comes from everyday people doing everyday activities. As we:
- drive our cars
- take care of our homes and lawns
- walk our dogs
- work at our jobs
we may contribute to water pollution. Often without realizing it.
After a rain shower, it may look cleaner. But all that dirt and debris has to go somewhere. As storm water flows, it picks up bits of dirt, auto fluids, chemicals and grass clippings. All get washed into the storm drain system.
This “non-point source” water pollution comes from yards, driveways, parking lots, rooftops, streets, even golf courses.
“Point source” pollution comes from a single source. Some examples include a factory or a sanitary sewage treatment facility discharging into a stream. Point source pollution could also come from a spill such as a tanker truck accident where fuel or other contaminants flow into the storm drain system.
Sometimes people intentionally (and illegally) dump paint, used oil, leaves or other pollutants in storm drains.
What flows into the storm drain system is not treated or cleaned. It goes down the storm drain, through a pipe and empties into the nearest creek. Because that runoff is never cleaned, the storm water can pollute our streams.
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Grass clippings can clog drainage pipes and can cause
algae blooms and fish kills in our creeks
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