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Residential Lawn Care Excess fertilizers and pesticides applied to lawns and gardens wash off and pollute streams. In addition, yard clippings and leaves can wash into storm drains and contribute nutrients and organic matter to streams. Don’t overwater your lawn. Consider using a soaker hose instead of a sprinkler. Use pesticides and fertilizers sparingly. When use is necessary, use these chemicals in the recommended amounts. Use organic mulch or safer pest control methods whenever possible. Compost or mulch yard waste. Don’t sweep it into storm drains or streams. Cover piles of dirt or mulch being used in landscaping projects. Auto Care Washing your car and degreasing auto parts at home can send detergents and other contaminants through the storm sewer system. Dumping automotive fluids into storm drains has the same result as dumping the materials directly into a waterbody. Use a commercial car wash that treats or recycles its wastewater, in an area that allows the runoff to infiltrate into the ground and not enter directly into the storm sewer system. Repair leaks and dispose of used auto fluids and batteries at designated drop-off or recycling locations. Pet waste Pet waste can be a major source of bacteria and excess nutrients in local waters. When walking your pet, remember to pick up the waste and dispose of it properly. Leaving pet waste on the ground increases public health risks by allowing harmful bacteria and nutrients to wash into the storm drain and eventually into local waterbodies.