Pollution Control: You Can Help

The City has 40,000 stormwater catch basins to collect and channel rainwater. However, these basins also collect chemicals, lubricants, animal waste and anything else swept up in stormwater. We need you to make a personal commitment to preserve our environment and to save tax dollars by lowering the cost of storm sewer clean-up and repair.

How can You help?

In the face of this planet's overwhelming environmental problems, each individual effort to protect water quality is vital. Together, individual actions can and do make a difference to water quality and the environment as a whole. You can start by taking the following actions:

• Yard Care
   
  • Do not fertilize or apply weed killers to your lawn before a forecasted rain shower - chemicals will wash away. Only apply recommended amounts.
     
  • Use slow release natural fertilizers and low toxicity pest control products.
     
  • Sweep or soak up chemical spills on driveways and sidewalks.
     
  • Bag, mulch or compost yard waste. Don't sweep leaves, grass and other debris into the gutter.
     
  • Select plants and grasses which grow easily in Kingston and require less water, fertilizers and pesticides
     
  • Control sprinkler run-off by watering only when necessary, and aim sprinkler heads away from paved surfaces.
     
  • Sweep your driveway instead of hosing it down.
     
• Vehicle Care
   
  • Take your vehicle to a car wash, or use non-phosphate, biodegradable detergents.
     
  • Dry up spills of oil or antifreeze with absorbent materials such as sand or kitty litter.
     
  • Drain oil, lubricants and antifreeze into containers and seal them.
     
  • Take used lubricants to a designated gas station or recycling centre for disposal.
     
  • Keep your vehicle in good working order to prevent fuel and oil leaks
     
  • Use biodegradable or less toxic alternatives to traditional petroleum-based products.
     
• Pet Care
   
  • Clean up after your pets and dispose of waste in the garbage.
     
• Household Care
   
  • Clean rain gutters frequently.
     
  • Do not rinse paint cans, brushes, detergent pails or other cleaning containers on your driveway or the street.
     
  • Firmly seal and store all used chemicals, and dispose of excess material at a recycling or hazardous waste facility.
     
  • Purchase non-toxic, biodegradable, recyclable products, and buy only what you need.
     
  • Dispose of unwanted substances properly by taking them to the Household Hazardous Waste Site at Kingston Area Recycling Centre, 70 Lappan's Lane.
     
  • Hours of operation: 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. every Thursday and the second Saturday of each month, beginning in April and ending in November.

Community Involvment Opportunities

Pollution prevention programs and by-laws include public education and enforcement of the sewer use by-law.

The Fish and Frogs Forever Project invites school or youth groups to show their communities the connection between storm sewers and streams and how to protect streams from hazardous wastes. Watch for fish and frogs on the road. A fish and frog painted on the road surface next to some stormwater drains means water entering the drain will exit into a nearby stream or lake. Youth in our community are involved in the Fish and Frogs Forever Project in which they paint symbols of fish and frogs next to storm sewer catch basins on our streets.