Rainy season is here early. In King County we get an average of 40 inches of rain. That rain falls on streets, parking areas, sports fields, gravel lots, and rooftops carrying all the chemicals and bacteria from those surfaces directly into nearby lakes, rivers and Puget Sound.
In King County opinion polls, residents consistently rate water quality as the most important environmental issue to them. This week we’ll be taking a look at stormwater runoff — the leading source of pollution for Puget Sound – its impacts, the myths and the pollution prevention actions we’re taking as well as actions you can take at home.
Historically, commercial and industrial sources may have been the main source of pollution, but with regulatory requirements in place, it is now the residential impact that is the greatest. From development to personal practices, this is what needs to change now to protect water quality for our children.
- Wash your car at a carwash.
- Scoop up your pets poop and put it in the trash.
- Check your car for leaks and get them fixed.
- Don’t use pesticides or use non chemical ways to deal with weeds and bugs.
- Limit fertilizers use, or use only slow release, organic fertilizers on your lawn.