MARK STORM DRAINS, SAVE OUR RIVER!

Today we marked storm drains and hung informational door hangers in the Aloha neighborhood of a RFH Roots & Shoots family. Storm drains in Washington County do not connect to sewage or water treatment plants. Instead, they carry rainwater and pollutants directly to the nearest waterway. Pollutants include runoff from streets, roofs, and lawns, as well as hazardous waste that people negligently dump directly into the drains. This pollution kills fish, vegetation, and wildlife and ultimately degrades our drinking water supply. Clean Water Services in Hillsboro provided us with all the supplies for this project. In just a couple of hours, ten of us marked 20 storm drains and delivered informational door hangers to 100 homes. This was a fun and easy project that we hope will make a big difference for our environment, especially Butternut Creek, the waterway (pictured left) that runs through the neighborhood. At the very first drain we marked stood a gallon jug of oily looking liquid (pictured below). Hopefully the owner will now dispose of this waste properly! We definitely plan to repeat this project in other neighborhoods.

Here are some clean water tips from Clean Water Services:

• Plant northwest natives and reduce your lawn
• Use organic or slowrelease fertilizer
• Wash your vehicle at a car wash or on your lawn
• Use mulch to improve soil and help retain water
• Pick up your pet waste (put it in the trash)
• Leave your streambank natural (don’t mow to the edge)
• Keep pets out of streams
• Fix your car’s oil leaks or catch drips with a pan
• Remove English ivy and Himalayan blackberry bushes
• Volunteer with your local stream restoration group