Why it is bad for water quality?

Yard clippings blown or swept into a storm drain can damage aquatic environments by adding too much vegetation to the water. When too many decomposing plants or lawn clippings end up in a waterbody, they take oxygen out of the water, suffocating other aquatic life.

What can we do to reduce or prevent storm water pollution?

There are many simple things we can do to prevent storm water pollution and help protect the water quality of our local waterbodies, although the number of pollutants might seem overwhelming. By incorporating simple, daily changes in our routine or activities, preventing storm water pollution will not seem like such a dramatic change to our lifestyle.

Avoid over-irrigating your lawn. Water is needlessly wasted, and the excess will simply wash away any fertilizers or pesticides you might be using. Additionally, any water flowing down the street will pick up pollutants in the gutters and carry them to the storm drain.

Make sure to collect all clippings from mowing or hedge trimming and throw them into a Green Waste Bin for composting for recycling. For more information on Green Waste contact Waste Management of Oceanside at 760-439-2824. For bigger jobs, Agri-Service, located in El Corazon, will take your green waste, compost it into mulch, then give it away to Oceanside residents for free. For additional information about Agri-Service, you can call the City of Oceanside Public Works Department at 760-435-4500 or check out our El Corazon Composting Facility (163 KB) reference sheet.

Instead of hosing or blowing leaves and clipping down the street, try sweeping them into a pile, then throwing them into your Green Waste bin.

If moving dirt during gardening activities, do not leave exposed piles of dirt on your sidewalks or driveways for extended periods of time as the dirt will end up on the street and in the gutter.

The City of Oceanside has a handy flier called “Gardening Tips to Prevent Storm Water Pollution” (328 KB) for gardeners interested in a brief reference guide.

What do the laws say about lawn waste?

It is illegal for lawn waste to enter a storm drain.