Return used motor oil for recycling
Never pour oil onto the street or down a storm drain.This may wash into the nearest water body.
Use a commercial car wash
It is best to use a commercial car wash.If you must wash it at home, wash it on the lawn to keep dirty / soapy water from flowing into storm drains and eventually into your local streams and lakes.
Fight mud
Cover areas of bare soil with mulch, or plant grass or ground covers to keep rain from washing soil into storm drains, ditches, streams and lakes. Fine soil particles, or sediment, can suffocate fish and destroy their habitat.
Avoid using lawn fertilizers that contain phosphorus
Test your lawn first to see if it needs phosphorus. Phosphorus that is not needed by turf grass is often carried by rain into nearby water bodies where it can cause serious environmental problems. The new Dishwasher Detergent and Nutrient Runoff Law severely restrict or prohibit the use of phosphorus-containing lawn fertilizers.
Leave an un-mowed buffer next to streams and lakes
A buffer strip filters the pollutants carried by storm runoff, stops erosion of banks and helps prevent flooding downstream. A buffer of native plants also benefits wildlife and beautifies your backyard.
Flush responsibly
Rather than flushing, dispose of cleansers, beauty products, medicine, auto fluids, paint, and lawn care products at a local household hazardous waste facility or take pharmaceuticals to special collection days. Septic systems and waste water treatment can’t handle these materials.
Into the trash, not the drain
Dispose of excess fats and grease, diapers, condoms, and personal hygiene products in the garbage can. These materials can clog pipes and cause raw sewage to overflow.