Coastal watershed degradation and dirty beaches just don’t harm local ecosystems; polluted water harms swimmers and surfers, threatens tourism, and contaminates our ground water. Education is one of the primary goals of the Blue Water Task Force. As residents of Southern California, we each have a stake in protecting our local environment. Through education and outreach, we can teach citizens the basic tenants of watershed protection and pollution mitigation. A recent article at SignOnSanDiego.com highlights the rising costs of maintaining our current system of water runoff management. You can read the article here.
Sadly, many of the problems created by polluted storm drain water are preventable. Outlined in the article are some of the simple steps you can take to limit your impact on our local watersheds:
-Clean up pet waste and put it in the garbage.
-Cover trash cans to keep out rain, which can cause leaching.
-Eliminate runoff from irrigation systems by precisely setting sprinklers and irrigation times.
-Apply fertilizers and pesticides per manufacturer guidelines.
-Minimize erosion by using mulch or ground cover on landscapes.
-Dispose of vehicle fluids and yard chemicals at centers certified for accepting household hazardous waste.
-Repair vehicle leaks promptly.
-Wash vehicles on the lawn, where water and soap can sink in.
These simple changes in behavior could eventually save the City and taxpayers millions of dollars in sewage treatment and clean-up costs. But education doesn’t just stop with Main Street; law and policy makers also need to get the message. Case in point, from the article:
“(Cid) Tesoro and other local government officials agree that clean beaches are important, but they question whether regulators know enough about the pollution problems before toughening the standards.
‘If we don’t have all the science and all the monitoring that shows there is indeed a problem, it doesn’t make sense that we spend so much money to try to resolve it,’ Tesoro said.”
As someone who has been part of BWTF for over two years, I can definitively say that that the science and monitoring show that there is indeed a problem.
We are all guilty of wanting our cake and eating it too. But as our population continues to grow and stress an already overloaded system, the price of providing clean water and beaches is also going to increase. Whether we like it or not, maintaining paradise has its cost. But if each of us takes responsibility for controlling our impact on the environment, we can lower that shared cost and enjoy the benefits of nature’s beauty and bounty for generations to come.
Is there a law on the books to fine people for not sweeping their sidewalk gutters? If not there should be. I live in city heights and I am appalled at all the trash amd leaves that people walk by every week as they put out their trash, and cant take five mimutes to sweep it up.
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