How You Can Help | Battle Creek Area Clean Water Partnership

De-icing

Excess salt can run off paved surfaces into surface and groundwater increasing chloride concentrations to unacceptable levels. Shovel snow early and often in the winter and try an alternative to salt, such as kitty litter or potassium chloride.

Fuel Storage Tanks

Leaking above and underground storage tanks are a major source of contamination. Check all tanks on your property regularly for leaks.

Leaves and grass clippings

The next time you mow your lawn, mulch, bag, or compost your grass clippings, but don’t let it run into the storm drains. All that grass can end up in our lakes and rivers and release nutrients, which make weeds and algae grow.

Septic System

If you have a septic system, have it checked every 2–3 years to insure it is working properly. Improperly maintained septic systems can leach harmful nutrients and bacteria into the surface and groundwater. For information on how to care for your septic system, please visit: EPA.gov.

Properly dispose of household hazardous waste

Never dump items such as motor oil, fuel products, cleaners, paints, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides on the ground or down the drain. They can contaminate groundwater and surface water.

Car Washing

Wash cars at a commercial car wash or on the lawn so that wash water can be absorbed and naturally filtered, avoiding streets and storm drains.

Conserve water by checking for household leaks

Use this checklist to detect leaks in your home’s plumbing system. Those small leaks can really add up to a lot of wasted water. A leaky faucet can waste up to 100 gallons of water per day! To calculate your daily water use, click here to visit the US Geological Survey’s website.

Use no-phosphorus fertilizer

In 2012, the State of Michigan banned the use of fertilizer containing phosphorus for residential use with a few exceptions (new turf and where soil tests show deficiency). Fertilizers list their nutrient with three numbers in order as Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. For example, a fertilizer listed as 5-10-10 has 5% nitrogen, 10% phosphorus and 10% potassium. So, be sure to choose a fertilizer with a middle number of 0.

Only rain in the storm drain

Rain water and snow melt are the only things that should wash down our storm drains. Anything else—grass clippings, leaves, motor oil, and fertilizer—is considered an illicit discharge. Storm water travels UNTREATED to lakes, rivers or wetland.

Abandoned Wells

Close any abandoned wells on your property. They can act as conduits for contamination of groundwater.

Dispose of Unwanted Medications Properly

If you have expired, unused or unwanted medications, properly disposing of them helps to protect the environment. It also helps to protect our community against prescription abuse, addiction, and accidental or intentional overdose. Click here to download a list of RedMed box locations in Battle Creek.

Pet waste

Pet waste can act as a fertilizer in surface water, triggering algal growth and decreased oxygen levels. Plus it’s full of bacteria that can be harmful to human health. Be a responsible pet owner and prevent contamination of the surface water and groundwater we all share by cleaning up anything—“left behind” on your walk.

Travel Trailer Waste

During the camping season, remember to properly dispose of your black water tank waste at a designated RV sanitary dump station. Improper disposal of waste contaminates the ground and water and leaves the “great outdoors”—not-so-great!

Protecting Our Water

What You Can Do at Home