Help prevent environmental contamination by picking up and properly disposing of your dog’s feces! Many people don’t think it’s important to pick up after their dog but here are some convincing reasons why it needs to be done:
- Dog waste is the highest contributor to storm water runoff pollution and the most preventable!
- Up to 95% of the fecal coliform found in storm water runoff comes from animal waste
- Studies show that two to three days’ worth of pet waste from just 100 dogs in a 20-square-mile watershed can contribute enough bacteria to temporarily close a bay, and all watershed areas within 20 miles of it, to swimming and shellfishing.
- Storm drains do not always connect to treatment facilities! Ocean swimmers near storm drain outlets can also cause swimmers skin rashes
- More than 10 million gallons of water containing fecal contaminants from human and animal sources, flows into neighborhood storm drains every day – even more when it rains.
- Increased ammonia and decreased oxygen in contaminated storm water endangers tropical fish and other marine life
- High amounts of nitrogen and phosphorous from dog waste contributes directly to algae blooms and red tide
- One dogs daily waste does not seem like much, but when you add in the estimated 500,000 dogs that live in the area it adds up to an enormous amount of hazardous waste
Please see the following links for more information:
USA Today – How Dog Waste Poses a Threat to the Water Table
Pet Waste and Water Quality
Atlanta – Clean Water Campaign
EPA – “After the Storm” The truth about storm water runoff