Stormwater runoff can contaminate our drinking water supplies, injure aquatic plants and animals, make waterways unsafe for swimming and fishing, and contaminate our coastal waters. It also has an economic impact by harming recreational commercial businesses that depend on good water quality.

Stormwater runoff is definitely a problem!

As stormwater flows across paved surfaces and unpaved land, it picks up pollutants and carries them directly into our waterways.

Some of these include:

Litter and trash from motorists, pedestrians and businesses

Many areas in the United States will dispose of household hazardous wastes and it's NOT the stormdrain.

One such county is Winston-Salem/Forsyth County in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The Winston Salem NC Utility Commission sponsors a permanent household hazardous waste disposal facility and covers the 3RC - The EnviroStation. This service is FREE to all qualified residents of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.

Remember: Wastes generated by commercial or industrial business is not accepted.

Accepted materials include:metal polish, oven cleaners, rug shampoos, bug sprays, rat bait, pesticides, gasoline, fuel oil, antifreeze, brake fluid, car batteries, glues, strippers, thinners, solvents, batteries, unmixed photographic materials or other poisonous, ignitable, corrosive products, motor oil and paints.

Materials not accepted:regular trash or recyclables, ammunition, explosives, radioactive or infectious materials.

3RC - The EnviroStation is open year-round from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 9:00 a.m. to noon on Saturday. For more information, call (336)784-4300.

Household Hazardous Wastes

You can improve water quality by changing a few cleaning habits at home.
A mixture of equal parts vinegar and water makes a good glass cleaner.

Make a paste of baking sode and water to clean your oven and stove.

Furniture polish can be made from one part lemon juice and two parts vegetable oil.

Equal parts boric acid and powdered sugar make a substitute ant and roach killer.

Sprinkle baking soda on carpets and then vacuum - it's a natural deodorizer and cleaner.

Use cedar chips or a mixture of Vetiver root, southern wood leaves and lavender flowe rs instead of moth balls.

Control mosquitoes by eliminating standing water around your yard. Plant mint and use citronella and pennyroyal oil as mosquito repellants. Erect a purple martin birdhouse.

Remember - household hazardous wastes should never be discarded in the trash or poured down an inside or outside drain!

Pool Maintanance

Proper maintenance of your pool is important for your family's health and to protect our local natural waterbodies. Storm drains connect to local rivers, lakes and streams.

Remember to only drain your pool if a test kit does not detect chlorine, to properly store pool chemicals in a covered area, and to try to prevent leaks and spills.

Whenever possible, drain your pool into the sanitary sewer system, not storm drains.

Composting: Composting is great for local streams and lakes!

The only costs are your time and effort and the benefits are a rich soil amendment, reduced waste to the landfills, and wonderful fresh vegetables and flowers.

It's simple - here's some simple rules to follow when composting:

Select a site away from surface water that would be adversely affected by runoff from the compost pile. Start the pile once you have a ready supply of grass or leaves.

Place a three inch layer of twigs or other coarse material on the bottom of the pile to provide for air flow and drainage. Cover this with a 6 - 12" layer of grass, leaves, other plant material and kitchen refuse (no meat).

Cover this with a nitrogen rich layer (eg. fresh manure or grass clippings). Top this with a one-inch layer of topsoil for each six-inch layer of grass or leaves. Repeat layers and water until moist, but be sure not to overwater.

If you smell ammonia, the pile is packed too tightly or is too wet. Turn the pile and add coarse material.

Turn the pile every 30 days to aerate it. Place outside materials inside and vice-versa.

Cover the pile with plastic during the winter to conserve heat and moisture.

Finished compost will be black and crumble like good topsoil. Compost should be ready in six months with proper turning and adequate water.

North Carolina Community Involvement includes some of the following:

North Carolina Big Sweep

The North Carolina Big Sweep is held on the 1st Saturday of October every year. During this event, thousands of volunteers statewide (and nationally and internationally) remove tons of trash and debris from streams, rivers, lakes, and beaches. This important waterway cleanup is coordinated locally by Keep Winston-Salem Beautiful.

Great Winston-Salem Clean Up

This annual April event is part of the Great American Cleanup sponsored by Keep America Beautiful. Much like the Big Sweep in the fall, during this event thousands of volunteers collect litter from roadways and other public area nationwide. Much of this debris would wash into our waterways. Keep Winston-Salem Beautiful also coordinates this event locally.

Adopt-a-Highway, Street, Park, or Stream

NCDOT (North Carolina Deparment of Transportation), Winston-Salem Recreation and Parks, and Keep Winston-Salem Beautiful sponsor programs that allow individuals, groups, and businesses to "adopt" roadways and parks. Signs with the group's name are erected at each adopted location. Supplies are provided and they are asked to clean up litter on a regular basis. This prevents significant amounts of trash from polluting our local waterways.

For More Information Visit: http://www.co.forsyth.nc.us/EnvAffairs  (Courtesy Of: Karen Storey; Ronald Reagan High School Environmental Science Teacher)