Did you know that when we hand wash cars on a paved surface, all the detergents, chemicals, and dirt coming off the car head straight to local waterways? Impervious surfaces such as blacktop, concrete, or cement do not allow water to infiltrate them; instead, they usher water to the nearest ditch or storm drain. Therefore,Continue reading “Going to the Car Wash”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Correctly Draining Your Pool
It is pool draining time of year- make sure you are doing so correctly. And yes, there is a right and a wrong way to empty your pool! Step 1:Make sure that the chlorine levels are next to zero before removing any of the water from your pool. Chlorine does wonders for your pool byContinue reading “Correctly Draining Your Pool”
Illicit Discharge
Car oil, household hazardous waste, and failing septic tanks are just a few of the many contaminants that can pollute our rivers. Any material that is not stormwater that enters a municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4)- such as a storm drain, pipe, or ditch- is defined as an illicit discharge. Illicit discharges happen inContinue reading “Illicit Discharge”
National Water Quality Month
National Water Quality Month was created to help remind us that freshwater is a finite resource, and without it, life as we know it would not exist. In Allen County, it is easy to forget how precious freshwater is when it is so easy to find and is so celebrated. Fort Wayne has won BestContinue reading “National Water Quality Month”
Clothing’s Virtual Water
Turn off the water while brushing your teeth. Take shorter showers. Only wash your clothes if they are dirty. Buy low flow shower faucets and dual flush toilets. Make sure the dishwasher is full before running it. The list goes on and on for ways that you can reduce the amount of water that youContinue reading “Clothing’s Virtual Water”
Independent Yards
Have you seen water running off a lawn, down the sidewalk, or creating puddles in a yard? Did you know that these are signs of a lawn being overwatering or watered too quickly? Overwatering may mean more than wasted water; it can lead to degraded water quality in local waterways. When water leaves a yard,Continue reading “Independent Yards”
Grasscycling: Better for Water Quality
Each year the average homeowner will spend approximately 70 hours maintaining their lawns to achieve their ideal space. Time is spent apply fertilizer to make grass greener and thicker, then time is spent cutting and bagging clippings because the grass is too tall. Then water is added to make sure the grass stays green, which means itContinue reading “Grasscycling: Better for Water Quality”
TEST YOUR SOIL
‘Tis the season of lawn prep, so let us talk about the how to fertilize correctly! The first thing to note is no single “cookbook” recipe exists for everyone to get the lawn of his or her dreams; because everyone’s dream lawn looks different. My husband and I are great examples of this. My dreamContinue reading “TEST YOUR SOIL”
Only Rain Down the Storm Drain
Storm drains. They exist in plain sight along sidewalks, in parking garages, and around parking lots, but where does the water go that enters these systems? The answer: straight into our rivers. As the Water Quality Education Specialist for ACPWQ, I get the pleasure of going out into the public and sharing this message (alongContinue reading “Only Rain Down the Storm Drain”
