Painting
Since paints are
generally hazardous to fish, it is important to dispose of
unused paint appropriately. Alpine Disposal & Recycling,
Oak Bay Municipal Depot, Hartland Landfill & Composting
Facility, and Sooke Garbage Disposal & Municipal Drop
Boxes all have a paint collection and recycling program.
In addition, local paint stores often will collect the paint
and deliver them to the appropriate facilities to be recycled.
A toll free BC Recycling
Hotline is available province wide if you have any questions:
1-800-667-4321, as well as the CRD Hotline at 360-3030.
Use a tarp to collect
any paint chips or spills outdoors. Clean up any spills with
an absorbent material and dispose of in the garbage, do not
attempt to wash paint “away” down the driveway or road.
Hot
Tubs and Swimming Pools
Chlorine and other
chemicals used in pools and hot tubs are toxic to fish and
thus should not be released into storm drains. Drain
the water onto the lawn after allowing the water to sit for
approximately one week. This wait allows for the chemicals
to evaporate. Also, it is acceptable to drain pools
and hot tubs into the sanitary system provided that your local
municipality has been contacted and approved the process.
Gardening
and Lawn Care
Instead of using
potentially harmful fertilizers, pesticides/ herbicides, look
into using safe alternatives. The CRD has compiled a
list of safe alternatives for common household products.
See below for suggestions.
If these chemicals
are used then make sure to read the application, disposal,
and handling directions carefully. Avoid spraying areas
near or adjacent to waterways and ditches, or during wet weather.
Use “medicines” for
your plants only when necessary. That is, avoid using
them if you do not notice pests or diseases present.
Healthy plants are more resistant to pests and disease so
maintaining your plants’ health will reduce the need for harmful
chemicals.
Landscaping
Vegetation captures
and stores significant amounts of precipitation. Keeping
existing vegetation and planting more will reduce runoff and
erosion.
Bark mulch creates
a toxic leachate. Reducing or eliminating the use of
this substance will avoid releasing this leachate into the
waterways. Be aware of the potential path of the leachate
where the mulch is used in the vicinity of watercourses.
Limit the amount
of impervious surfaces such as landscaping plastic or concrete/cement
in your yard. Instead, use paving blocks that allow
water to infiltrate between the blocks or use porous asphalts,
or rocks.
Plant native vegetation
as it is best adapted to the local environment. This will
decrease the need to use pesticides and fertilizers.
Native plants also require less care and watering.
Gutters
Direct your roof
downspouts into the ground or storm drain system, not the
sanitary system. This will decrease the likelihood of
sewage overflows in your area. Also, wooden barrels
or gravel filled trenches could be used to collect the water.
Living
Next to a Stream
Keep animals and
livestock away from the shores of a stream to avoid an increase
in erosion and siltation. Additionally, the animal wastes
will degrade the quality of the stream water.
Other than naturally
occurring downfall from the vegetation in vicinity of the
stream, do not place large objects or debris in the stream.
This will interfere with the course of the water and affect
fish spawning habitat. Dumping garbage can smother plant
and animal life. Organic waste (grass clippings, compost,
etc.) will make the water eutrophic causing oxygen levels
to eventually be depleted.
Try to keep the riparian
area as natural as possible without landscaping and over-beautifying
up to the shore of the stream. This disruption may interfere
with natural spawning of fish. Also, the diversion and/or
damming of water should not proceed without approved from
Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the BC Ministry of the Environment.
Essentially,
the guiding principle behind outfall monitoring, stewardship
of our waterways, and storm drain maintenance is an increase
in our awareness of what substances enter our storm drains
and the consequent effect those substances will have on the
aquatic environment at the outfall. Remember that there
are ways to carry out our current activities in an environmentally
conscious way that maintain the integrity of the streams throughout
Victoria.
Alternatives
to Hazardous Chemicals
The following is a summary of
safe alternatives for common household products compiled
by the CRD (for a complete list contact VOLWS or the CRD):
Watershed Society
