DRIVEWAY RUNOFF

Anything that goes on your driveway has to go somewhere, and that usually means down the road and into the storm sewer. From there, it goes into our rivers and lakes.

It's a problem because driveway runoff contains contaminants that can make water undrinkable, threaten our health and prevent us from being able to swim and enjoy the pleasures of our beaches. Fish and other aquatic life are also at risk.

What's In It?

Soapy water used to wash the car goes very quickly into storm sewers. It will carry with it any gas, oil or chemicals that were on your car or on the driveway surface.

Fertilizers and pesticides from your lawn and garden can easily get washed by rain onto your driveway . and then down the street to the sewer. The same goes for gas and oil from lawn mowers, as well as any chemicals that are stored in your garage. And don't forget that much of what goes on your roof ends up coming down the spout and onto the driveway.

What To Do

Of course, driveway runoff should go into storm sewers - we need to make sure that what's in that runoff doesn't harm the environment.

Vehicles

• Make sure that your vehicle does not have any leaks - oil or gas deposits on driveways are very common ... and very preventable.
• When changing oil - vehicle or lawn mover - take extreme care to avoid spills. Pans should always be used and all tips for dealing with excess oil should be followed.
• DO NOT throw oil down the sewer. Many service centres accept used oil for recycling.
• Use car washes - many recycle their water and they also have traps to capture pollutants and keep them out of sewers.
• For more details (see link - VEHICLES)

Lawn and garden

• Use as little fertilizer as possible.
• Use organic fertilizer whenever possible.
  • See our fertilizer page for more details.
• Practice integrated pest management techniques.
• Try less toxic alternatives to manufactured pesticides.
  • See our pesticides page for more details.

Garage

• Along with the recommendations for storing chemicals and other products in the garage (see link - CHEMICALS IN THE GARAGE), it is important to ensure the integrity of your garage's structure.
• Ensure that there are no spaces where stored materials can exit the garage (and where any unwanted visitors can enter!).

REMEMBER: Everything that you do on your property helps reduce the environmental impact of driveway runoff!