Kids Can Help Too!
There are a lot of things kids can do to help keep our lakes, rivers, and streams clean
Have you ever thought about where rain goes after it lands on your house or driveway? Rain drops roll down your driveway and into the road. Once in the road, rain enters the storm drain – the grates in our city streets.
Do you know what happens to things that enter the storm drain? Water or anything else entering those drains travels through pipes and empties right into our rivers and lakes.
CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR PET
Pet waste is not only gross to find in yards or on sidewalks, it also carries bacteria and germs that cause beach closings in the summer.
To keep our waters clean, pick up after your pet often. Even waste in your backyard can pollute local waters.
Bring a small plastic bag with you on walks and pick up after your dog.
HELP WITH THE YARD
Grass clippings and leaves from our yards are causing our waterways to turn green with algae! You can help by sweeping grass clippings off your driveway and sidewalk back onto your lawn after your mom or dad mows the grass. You can also help you parents rake up the leaves in your yard in the fall!
GET SOME EXCERCISE
You may have heard that car and trucks can cause air pollution, but did you know driving vehicles can also affect waters? Oil, grease, and other dirt fall from our vehicles when we drive and are washed into storm drains and into our rivers and lakes. One way to help clean up water is to drive less. Instead of asking for a ride, ask your parents if you can walk or bike with them to a friend’s house or the park!
VOLUNTEER
Lots of volunteer opportunities make tasks that are easy for kids to do. Try joining a clean up day with your parents or clean up your local parks!
Northeast Wisconsin Stormwater Consortium (NEWSC) P.O. Box 1861 Appleton, WI 54912 l 920.851.4336
RenewOurWaters.org
Stormwater is rain or snowmelt and water from things people do, like washing the car or watering the lawn. As water makes its way to the storm drain it picks up pollutants like oil from car leaks and bacteria from pet waste. When we choose products carefully and dispose of products properly, we can greatly reduce the amount of pollution that enters our local waters through runoff.
Untreated runoff is the biggest threat to our nation’s water quality, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Let’s make the small, important changes that will reduce that threat and improve water quality and our lives!
—
—
