Do you know how our creeks and beaches get polluted? Or have you ever wondered what those holes in the sidewalk were for? Well, read on to find out…

Water pollution can come from a lot of different places, but the number one reason that our creeks, rivers, lakes and beaches get dirty is from the water and other pollutants that flow into storm drains. Look below to find out more.

What’s storm water pollution? Storm water is the water that runs down the street when it’s raining. Storm water enters holes in the gutter called storm drains. Water that flows down the street when it’s not raining, like when you wash your car or water your lawn, is called urban runoff.

Confused yet? Take a look…

After storm water and urban runoff flow into the storm drain, it gets sent to the nearest creek, river, lake or ocean so our streets don’t flood. That means any pollutant on the street or in urban runoff gets carried to our waterbodies and eventually the ocean.

Yuck! Can you imagine swimming in all the gross stuff that’s on our streets? Soaps, grass clipping, trash, pet waste, pesticides and fertilizers, dirt and oil are just some of the pollutants that make our water unhealthy for people and other animals.

Can you think of all the pollutants that can float down a storm drain and contaminate our water? Use the picture above and think of some on your own. Here, lets make a list…

Leaves and Grass Clippings	Swimming pool chemicals	Hazardous chemicals	Soaps and detergents	Trash and Litter
Animal Waste	Dirt	Oil and other chemicals from cars	Air pollution from cars	Pesticides and Fertilizers

That’s a pretty long list of stuff that can pollutant our water. But, do you know why it’s bad for people and the environment?

Chemicals like oil, chlorine (used for swimming pools), cleaners, pesticides and fertilizers can harm the animals, bugs and plants that live in the water, and can make people sick when it floats down to the ocean.

Too many leaves and grass clippings can take the oxygen out of water and suffocate the plants and animals who need oxygen to breathe.

The waste from our pets is very harmful to our waterbodies. Our pets' waste has dangerous bacteria that can spread diseases to plants, animals and humans that swim in dirty water.

Soaps and detergents, like too many leaves and grass clippings, can take oxygen out of water and suffocate plants and animals. Also, soaps and detergents eat away at the slimy mucus layer that protects fish from diseases and bacteria.

Did you ever think air pollution from cars could pollute our water? Yep. Remember, anything that goes up, must come down. So all the gross-looking, bad-smelling, gray/black/brown/blue gases that come out of a cars' tailpipes floats up into the air and eventually lands on the ground or in a creek, river, lake or ocean.

Listen up, litterbugs… the trash you throw in the street will eventually end up on the beach! If you don’t litter, hurray! You’re helping our environment stay clean! Trash is not only ugly to look at, but it pollutes our water and can make animals sick.

You’re a water pollution genius if you can get this question… Why is dirt bad for creeks, rivers and lakes? Well, a little bit of dirt is natural. But, too much from what’s called “erosion” is harmful to waterbodies. “Erosion” is when dirt slides off hillsides and lands in a waterbody. Also, dirt can come from our streets and sidewalks, get carried into a storm drain and eventually end up in a waterbody. So, why is dirt bad? It makes water murky, so fish have a hard time breathing or finding places to lay their eggs. Dirt also clogs up creeks, rivers and lakes making them disappear altogether.

Now that you know how water pollution happens, do you know what you can do to prevent water pollution? There are lots of little things we can do around the house to pollute less.

	If you see your car leaking oil everywhere, tell your parents it needs to get fixed. Make sure you don’t let water full of pollutants like dirt, chemicals, soaps and grass clippings run down the street and into a storm drain.
	Make sure to clean up after your dog or cat in your yard or when you take it out for a walk. Convince your parents and neighbors to use less water when they wash their cars. Ask them to not let the hose run constantly, but use water only when they need it. Also, ask them to use a bucket with water and soap to wash the car, then drain the dirty/soapy water down the sink or in the grass.
	Throw all your trash in a garbage can and not on the street, sidewalk, dirt or grass. Convince your parents to drive less. Try planning trips to the store, gas station, mall or other places in a path so you waste less gas and time. The shorter the trips, the less the air is polluted.

To learn more about storm water pollution you can check out these cool links.

Wonder who are the Duck, Fish and Turtle shown above? Meet the Oceanside Creek Friends!

For a bunch of different on-line Games, click here.

Feel like being more creative? You can print your own coloring book.

The Adventures of Oceanside Creek Friends (7.3 MB)

Want to become a member of the POW! (Protectors of Oceanside Water) Team? Click below to find out how you can become involved.

POW! Membership (147 KB)