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Sewers
are Different than Storm Drains |
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Answers
to frequently asked questions |
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Household
Hazardous Waste |
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Fairs
& Exhibits |
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Useful
Web Site Links |
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| Sewers
are Different than Storm Drains |
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There
are two different drainage systems found in
Daly City. |
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Sewer-
The sewer or sanitary sewer is the
pipe that transports wastewater from toilets,
tubs and sinks. When your toilet is flushed
or the dishes cleaned the water enters the
sewer and flows to the wastewater treatment
plant. Most of these drains are located inside
your home or business. At the plant, the wastewater
goes through many processes to remove contaminants
before being discharged into the ocean. |
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Storm
Drain-
The storm drain is the drain found outside
your home or business. Those are the drain
inlets or catch basins, you see at the end
of the street/gutter. They are stenciled with
the signage, "NO DUMPING, FLOWS TO BAY/OCEAN"
They covey rainwater directly to the
ocean and bay, untreated. That's why
it is so important to prevent anything but
rain from entering the storm drain! |
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Answers
to frequently asked questions |
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What
liquids or solids can be disposed of into the
storm drain? |
NOTHING!
Only rain is allowed to go into the storm
drain. |
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Why
do we need a stormwater program? Aren't businesses
and factories the primary cause of water pollution? |
Recent
studies indicate that 80% of the pollutants
entering the San Francisco Bay come from polluted
stormwater runoff. This runoff begins on the
street you live on. |
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Who
can unplug or clean the storm drain by my
home? |
Call
the Streets Department at 650-991-8097. |
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If
I own a business, can I wash my vehicle there? |
NO!
Unless the wash and rinse water go to the
sanitary sewer, not the storm drain. |
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| Can
I wash my personal vehicle at my home? |
Washing
your vehicle at a commercial car wash reduces
the amount of pollution entering the storm
drain system. If you must wash your vehicle
at home, wash it on the lawn, or unpaved area,
which will filter runoff. Never dump soapy
water in the driveway, gutter, street, or
storm drain. |
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The
soap I used to wash my car is biodegradable;
can that go to the storm drain? |
NO!
Biodegradable soap is only biodegradable if
it goes to the sanitary sewer. It is still
poisonous to aquatic life and cannot go down
the storm drain. |
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| Can
I dump my used oil, antifreeze, and brake fluid
into the storm drain? |
NO!
Never dump used automotive products into storm
drains or sewers. Just one gallon of motor
oil can pollute up to two million gallons
of water! Call 1-800-CLEANUP for the location
of the Used Oil Collection Center nearest
to your home. |
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Can
I rinse off my paintbrushes and cans into
the storm drain? |
All
paint waste is toxic. Rinse off your brushes
into the sink. For free disposal of your waste
paint, call the San Mateo County Household
Hazardous Waste Program appointment and information
line at 650-363-4718. |
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What
is the best method of applying pesticides
or fertilizers to my lawn? |
Follow
the directions on the container, and do not
apply pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers
if rain is forecast. |
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| What
if I spill motor oil on the street or on my
driveway? |
Do
not hose the oil off! Instead, sprinkle clay
kitty litter, grease sweep or other absorbent
material to soak up the oil. Dispose of the
oil soaked material as household hazardous
waste. |
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| Household
Hazardous Waste |
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Never
pour household hazardous waste down
your sink, toilet, or bathtub. Automotive
fluids such as gasoline, motor oil or
anti-freeze, as well as insecticides,
paint, solvents, wood preservatives,
lighter fluid and many other common
consumer products are considered household
hazardous waste. |
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Never
pour household hazardous waste down the storm
drain in your street. Stormwater runoff
flows directly to the ocean or bay, carrying
with it whatever pollutants were added. |
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If
you have hazardous wastes in your home that
you would like to dispose of, don't throw
it away, call the Household Hazardous Waste
Program for San Mateo County residents at
650-363-4718. |
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| Fairs
& Exhibits |
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Learn
all you can about the environment. Attending
environmental fairs and exhibits is
a fun way to learn what the Department
of Water and Wastewater Resources and
other organizations are doing to protect
the environment for future generations.
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| Useful
Web Site Links |
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To
learn more about the environment and pollution
prevention, you can visit these web sites: |
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San
Mateo Countywide Stormwater Pollution Prevention
Program (http://stoppp.tripod.com) |
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United
States Environmental Protection Agency (http://www.epa.gov/ow/) |
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State
Water Resources Control Board (http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/) |
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Western
Regional Pollution Prevention Network (http://www.westp2net.org/) |
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San
Mateo County Environmental Health Division (http://www.smhealth.org/environ/) |
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The
California Environmental Resources Evaluation
System (http://ceres.ca.gov/) |
