Urban Run-Off Laws
and
What You Need to Know

It is important that homeowners and renters be aware of and take precautions to minimize the amount of urban runoff. Below is a list of prohibited pollutants you and all the members of your household need to know. There needs to be a community effort to help protect our oceans environment for future generations.

Talk to your neighbors and spread the word.

Even though you may live miles from the Pacific Ocean you may be polluting it without knowing it.

Did you know anything we use in our homes, cars and business like motor oil, paint, pesticides, fertilizers and cleaners can wind up in the street?


A little water from rain or a garden hose can carry automotive and household materials through the storm drain systems polluting bays, wetlands and the ocean.

Storm drains are there to drain water off the street, not for disposal of hazardous materials.

Before you pour anything in the gutter or down the drain,
stop and think!

Where does storm water go?

These pollutants flow together on a journey from the storm drain to the flood control channel where it can eventually empty into the ocean. This type of pollution is called Strom Water & Urban Runoff Pollution (SWURP) and is a serious threat to the beaches and oceans of Southern California.

Did you know that dumping one quart of motor oil down a storm drain contaminates 250,000 gallons of water?

Please PRINT this page, check each item listed, and post it in your home / apartment for everyone to read.

Remember it’s up to each one of us to make a difference!

• Dispose of Prescription Drugs Properly
  Prescription drugs should not be flushed down the toilet or put into the trash. Contact your local hospital. They should have a program to take any outdated or unused drugs. Water sewer treatment plants are not equipped to treat prescription drugs and they go straight to the ocean. Proper disposal prevent these medications from possibly leaching through our landfills and into the groundwater tables.
  
  
• Clean Up Oil Spills or Drips
  Don't allow oil stains or puddles to accumulate on parking lots or on paved surfaces. To properly clean the oil use an absorbent material such as kitty litter. Pour it onto the spill and let it stand until it fully absorbs the oil. Some agitation and brushing of the surface may be necessary. Add absorbent until all oil is absorbed and the surface is dry. Sweep up used kitty litter and dispose into a plastic bag. Double bag it for safe transportation. It is then ready for disposal. You can also purchase oil absorbent pads from most auto supply stores. These can be used in the same manner as litter or to capture leaks and spills as they occur.
  
  Once collected contact the County of Orange, Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center Hotline at (714) 834-6752 for information on where to properly dispose of the oily absorbent or other household hazardous wastes. Proper disposal prevent these wastes from possibly leaching through our landfills and into the groundwater tables. To learn more, click HERE, to visit their website.
  
  
• Wash Your Car at the Car Wash
  It's legal to wash your car in your driveway, but keep in mind that dirty wash water and detergents are bad for the ocean. If you wash your car at home, try to wash it on a grass or gravel surface (so the water can infiltrate into the ground and not run off). Use a biodegradable soap and limit the amount of water used. Better yet take your car to a commercial car wash!
  
  
• Watch Your Butts
  Don't throw cigarette butts onto the ground or out of your vehicle. If you smoke in your car use your ashtray, don’t throw it out the window. The ocean is not meant to be a cigarette butt depository, not to mention the toxins that are contained in them.
  
  
• Don't Throw Litter Out of Your Car
  Buy a litter bag and get everyone in your household to get into the practice of using it. Litter clogs waterways and causes toxicity as it breaks down. It affects the health of birds, fish, animals and plants that live in the waterways.
  
  
• Don't Hose Down Walkways or Driveways
  This wash water, containing sediment and other pollutants, will go into the nearest storm drain and end up in the Ocean. Sediment in urban runoff reduces light penetration and affects photosynthesis, the process that allows plants to use light as their source of energy. You can sweep or vacuum walkways and driveways.
  
  
• Watch Your Greens
  Prevent green waste, grass clippings and leaves, from entering storm drains. When green waste decays in water it uses up oxygen, taking vital oxygen away from plants, fish and other aquatic animals. Soil and sediment makes waterways cloudy and can suffocate fish by clogging their gills.
  
  
• Pick up after your pet
  Animal waste in urban runoff carries pathogens directly to the ocean and can cause typhoid fever, bacterial gastroenteritis and hepatitis A.
  
  
• Never Flush Cat Litter Down the Toilet
  Recent tests have proven California seals are dying at an alarming rate off the coast of Monterey from an ingredient found in cat litter being flushed down toilets. To dispose of cat litter correctly always double-bag the litter, disinfect it and place it in your non-recyclable trash can.
  
  
• Collect Automotive Fluids for Diposal
  Do not allow automotive leaks and spills, improper disposal of used oil and other engine fluids to go down the storm drain. Metals found in vehicle exhaust, weathered paint, rust, metal-plating and tires are also prohibited.
  
  
• Do not over water your yard
  It can send fertilizer, pesticides and herbicides from your garden or lawn into the storm drain. Monitor your sprinklers to see if water runs off the lawn. Adjust sprinkler as necessary to prevent excess runoff. This will save you water and money!
  
  
• Dispose of Household Cleansers, Chemicals, Paint & Paint Remover Properly
  Don't dispose of cleaners, paint and paint removers into a toilet, household drains or stormdrain.
  
  Contact the County of Orange, Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center Hotline at (714) 834-6752 for information on where to properly dispose of the oily absorbent or other household hazardous wastes. Proper disposal prevent these wastes from possibly leaching through our landfills and into the groundwater tables. To learn more, click HERE, to visit their website.
  
  

Please Help Save Our Ocean!

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