How Residents Can Help Keep Our Water Clean

There are many simple, every day actions you can take as a resident of Douglas County to help keep our beautiful waterways clean and healthy for generations to come. To learn more about what stormwater is and why it matters, visit our How You Can Help page first.

Washing Your Vehicle Using Fertilizer Cleaning Up After Pets Trash & Litter Additional Resources

Washing Your Vehicle

The safest way to wash your vehicle is to use a commercial car wash. These car washes are required to properly dispose of wastewater and many of them filter and recycle their water. If you prefer to wash your vehicle at home, consider the following actions to help keep our water clean:

Wash your vehicle on surfaces like grass or gravel so water can be filtered before reaching a water body. Washing your vehicle on impervious surfaces like concrete and asphalt can send harmful substances into the stormwater system.
Use nontoxic, phosphate-free soaps, and use them sparingly.
Minimize runoff by reducing water use, using a spray nozzle to restrict water flow.
Wring out sponges and rags over the bucket or in a sink instead of over the ground.
Empty wash water into the sink or toilet, or the grass if you wish to dispose of it outside.
Use waterless car wash products for spot-cleaning or a car wash kit, which redirects water from storm drains.

Using Fertilizer

When fertilizer gets carried into waterways, the excess nitrogen and phosphorus can fuel algae blooms, deplete oxygen in the water and harm fish and other aquatic life. Some algae, like blue-green algae, can even produce toxins dangerous to pets, livestock and people.

Here’s how you can help:

Consider using phosphorus-free fertilizers.
Apply fertilizer only when needed and never before a storm.
Follow recommended rates and avoid over-application.
Keep fertilizers away from wells, ditches and waterways.
Fill fertilizer spreaders on a hard surface, like a sidewalk or driveway, so that any spills can be easily cleaned up.
Properly store unused fertilizers and properly dispose of empty containers.

Cleaning Up After Pets

Stormwater can pick up pet waste and send it directly or via a storm sewer system into nearby creeks, rivers and lakes. Pet waste in waterbodies can make people and animals sick, promote weed and algae growth, and damage the health of the ecosystem in and around the water. Pet waste is a leading source of nutrient and bacteria pollution in urban streams and waterways.

Here’s how you can help:

Always pick up pet waste, including at home. Cleaning up waste at home weekly can keep bacteria out of runoff.
Dispose of waste in the trash.
If possible, keep pet areas away from drainage features. Locate dog runs or potty areas away from slopes, ditches or storm drains to reduce the risk of runoff.

Trash & Litter

Litter that ends up in our creeks, rivers and lakes, sometimes called aquatic trash, comes mostly from everyday activities on land. Once there, this pollution harms wildlife, damages habitats and reduces the beauty and safety of the places we love. Plastic trash is especially harmful because it never fully breaks down. Instead, it fragments into tiny “microplastics” that can be eaten by fish, birds and other animals—even making its way up the food chain.

Aquatic trash also affects human communities. It’s expensive to clean up, can negatively impact our recreation areas and creates health and safety risks when it accumulates.

Here’s how you can help:

Always secure your trash and recycling.
Never litter.
Avoid overfilling bins/dumpsters so trash doesn’t blow away.
Report illegal dumping when you see it.
Reduce single-use plastics whenever possible.

Additional Resources

Report illicit discharges, spills or other water pollution concerns Safely recycle or dispose of hazardous waste in Douglas County Dispose of green yard waste at Douglas County's Slash/Mulch site Learn about installing rainwater barrels for watering plants Learn how best to maintain septic systems

The Cooperative for Local Environmental Awareness & Responsibility (CLEAR) is a regional partnership dedicated to safeguarding Douglas County’s creeks, rivers and lakes through effective stormwater management. By uniting local governments, districts and community partners, CLEAR helps ensure clean water, healthy habitats and compliance with state water quality standards. CLEAR connects the community with the resources and knowledge needed to protect water quality for generations to come. Learn more about CLEAR’s mission and impact.