Help Stop Water Pollution

Littering

Nobody wants to see litter in their neighborhood. Also, children and animals may touch or ingest trash that has been left on the ground which could make them sick, or even be fatal.

What can you do?

Make sure that every piece of trash you have ends up in the proper place! Always carry waste to the closest trash or recycling receptacle.

Learn more about the County's anti-littering programs and all the ways you can help to reduce litter in our community: Litter Prevention Program

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Illegal Dumping

Anything that is flushed or poured down a storm drain may eventually reach local streams and other waterways without being treated to remove the pollutants. Automotive fluids dumped down a storm drain are one unfortunate example. Dumping items like tires, lawn care debris, or large household appliances and old bicycles directly into a stream channel also affects the health and beauty of the stream.

Illegal dumping is a serious offense.  If you see an incident of illegal dumping, report it to the County. Learn more about reporting  Illegal dumping.

What can you do?

Don't dump yard trim and trash onto stream banks or directly into streams and rivers. Trash dumped into the stream can lead to big pollution problems. If you see illegal dumping in or along streams, report it to 311.   Click here to learn more about why yard waste needs to be kept out of streams. With a nationally recognized solid waste program, it is easy to appropriately dispose of or recycle any trash and waste material in Montgomery County.

Most of us don't think of cars as a source of water pollution, but they can be. You can prevent water pollution by maintaining and repairing your car responsibly.

Vehicle Wash Water

Washing vehicles and discharging wash water to the environment is a type of water pollution.

• Vehicle wash water contains oils, grease, metal (paint chips), brake dust, rust, detergents, cleaners, road salts, and other chemicals that can contaminate surface waters.
• Soaps can add ammonia, phenols, dyes, and acids to the mix. All soaps—even those labeled "biodegradable"—contain surfactants, which enable the cleaner to rinse off easily with water. Surfactants can cause many problems in streams and rivers. Some fish and fish eggs can be killed by even  low concentrations.

What can you do?

If possible, wash your vehicle at a commercial carwash facility, where the wash water is treated before getting into our local waterways. Commercial businesses that wash vehicles, including portable vehicle-detailing operations, are prohibited from discharging wash water to the environment. The businesses are required to direct all wash water to the sanitary sewer which goes to the local wastewater treatment plant or capture and contain it to be hauled off-site for proper disposal.

Consider washing your vehicle on a porous surface, such as a lawn, where the wash water can soak into the soil, be treated by soil particles and microbes, and be filtered before it enters the groundwater.

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Automobile Fluids

Many automotive fluids—motor oil, antifreeze, transmission fluid, degreasers, solvents, and the like—are hazardous wastes. They're toxic to us, animals, and to the environment.

Pouring used auto fluids like antifreeze and brake fluid into a storm drain or driving a car on top of a drain and letting fluids flow into the drain not only pollutes waterways—it's illegal.  Violators will be prosecuted and fined up to $500 per incident.

What can you do?

You can help reduce pollution from vehicle fluids by following a few common-sense guidelines:

• When you're making repairs or performing minor maintenance, make sure you've protected the sidewalk, curb, street, and gutter from automotive fluids before you start working.
• Place a pan or container under the oil pan, brake line, or other auto part on which you're performing maintenance or which is heavily leaking.
• Place pads, cardboard, newspaper, or kitty litter around the pan to catch spills and leaks.
• Recycle used oil and antifreeze at the County Transfer Station or a service station.
• Place lightly soiled (only) absorbent materials in the trash.
• Collect used automotive fluids in sealable containers marked with their contents. Never mix different fluids in one container. Store the containers securely where they can't spill, tip over, or wash off into a storm drain.
• Take used transmission, brake, or other automotive fluids and heavily soaked absorbent materials to the Transfer Station's  Household Hazardous Waste Collection Area.

Grease is a by-product of cooking. It comes from meat, fats, oils, shortening, butter, margarine, food scraps, sauces, and dairy products. When it's improperly handled, stored, or disposed of, waste cooking grease can cause significant water quality impacts.
DEP supports the   Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission's Fats, Oils, and Grease program,  which has detailed information on the grease problem and how to prevent it.

Pet waste is more than just a nuisance – it is also a serious health hazard. It is considered raw sewage and can contain harmful bacteria and parasites that can be tracked into your home and infect you, your family, and even your pets.
Dog waste can infect other dogs with diseases such as Canine Parvovirus and Canine Distemper. These illnesses can cause dogs to have partial or total paralysis, nerve damage, vomiting and diarrhea.
Every time it rains, pet waste left to decay on sidewalks, lawns, or common areas is washed into storm drains that may lead directly into our streams, causing pollution in our waterways. Picking up after your pet is the law. If you are caught not picking up after your pet, you can get a $100 fine. (Chapter 5 Animal Control. Section 5.203)
Visit our Pet Waste Campaign Page.

It’s Simple: Scoop it, Bag it, and Trash it!

Carry disposable bags and pick up pet waste when out on walks, in your yard, or in a park. Properly dispose of pet waste by bagging and sealing the waste and depositing it in a trash can or pet waste receptacle. Do not place it in a storm drain or leave it on the ground.

For areas in the County that are not served by public sewer, residents must have properly functioning septic systems. Septic systems treat wastewater from your home or business and disperse the treated “effluent” into the soil in a designated 'leachfield'. Septic systems need to be cleaned out on a routine basis to assure they keep functioning as designed.  Learn more about how to keep your septic system in tip top shape.

Swimming Pools

The water in swimming pools must be treated with chlorine to kill possible pathogens and protect human health. Even at extremely low levels, chlorine can be toxic to aquatic animals and plants. When draining a pool, the water must be discharged to the public sewer not to a storm drain. Learn more about regulations to protect stream water quality while draining pools.

What You Can Do

Use the following guidelines when discharging swimming pool water:

• Pool water must sit for at least 48 hours after the addition of chlorine, or until the chlorine level is below 0.1 milligrams/liter. Chlorine concentration should be tested using a standard pool chlorine test kit prior to discharge.
• The pH of the pool water must not be less than 6.5 or greater than 8.5 at the time of discharge.
• The pool water must be free of algaecide at the time of discharge. Algaecide can severely affect normal algae and plant growth in streams.
• The water should not look murky or cloudy. Solids suspended (or particles) in the water must be below 60 milligrams/liter. The best way to achieve this level of clarity is to allow visible particles to settle out of the water. The material settled out should not be discharged with the water.

For community pools in areas served by public sewer, pool water must be discharged to the public sewer and must not be discharged to a storm drain. For residential pools, backwash water must be discharged to the public sewer. If your only option in draining pool water is to discharge directly into the environment, the water being discharged must comply with the State of Maryland Water Quality Criteria.

Yards and Landscaping

We’ve all heard the old adage, “Water flows downhill”. Well this is particularly important to consider when it comes to your yard and landscaping. When water lands on, or flows across your property, it can do a few things:

1. Soak into the Ground
2. Evaporate
3. Pond Up
4. Run Off

The first two items are good, but the last two can create problems for you or your neighbors. If the water ponds up in your yard for long periods of time, it's a sign of poor drainage and possibly a source of mosquitoes.  If it runs off rapidly, it can lead to erosion and flooding on downstream properties.

The County's RainScapes program has many ways that you can prevent runoff from becoming a problem on your property or on your neighbors' properties.

Planning on sealing your driveway or parking lot?
Make sure you are using a sealant that does not contain coal tar. As of December 18, 2012, the use of pavement sealants containing coal tar is prohibited in Montgomery County. Use of a coal-tar based sealant can subject the applicator and the property owner to a fine of up to   $1,000.
Visit the DEP Coal Tar Ban webpage for more information on the ban and how coal tar negatively impacts our local waters.

Have you ever seen dirty or muddy water running off construction sites into local streams? Although a small amount of cloudiness is natural in some streams, particularly after a large rainstorm, too much sediment can cause problems. Excessive amounts of sediment in our streams can be caused by:

• Runoff from construction sites or land-disturbing activities
• Improper disposal of soil and construction debris

Construction or Land-Disturbance

You can help prevent and limit sediment loading into our local streams. If you spot discolored or muddy water running off a construction site or any other land-disturbing activity you should report it through 311 . You need to be as specific as possible about the site's location.
Learn more about sediment and erosion runoff.