by Amber Ellis, JRA's Watershed Restoration Associate/Volunteer Coordinator
If you have a dog, then you have a chance every day to take a simple action that will help keep our streams and the James River safe from harmful bacteria. It’s easy…scoop the poop!
If you have a dog, then you have a chance every day to take a simple action that will help keep our streams and the James River safe from harmful bacteria. It’s easy…scoop the poop!
Some people think pet waste is natural, so just leave it to
fertilize their lawn. Well, it is “natural”, but so is human poop and over the
years we have created waste water treatment plants and septic systems to manage
it safely.
Over 9,000 miles of our rivers and streams in Virginia are impaired
due to bacteria. Pet waste is not the only culprit, but it makes up a big chunk
of it and it is something that pet owners can do something about. Other sources
of bacteria are agricultural runoff, leaking sanitary and storm sewers, and
urban runoff.
Pet waste carries bacteria, such as E. Coli, that is washed
into our waterways during rain or snow storms. Even if you cannot see a
waterway from your house, that stormwater runoff flows into storm drains where
it is then discharged directly into a natural body of water carrying all of
that bacteria that it picked up along the way with it. Yuck!
So it’s simple… when you let your dog out to do his or her
business, follow these 3 steps. 1) Take a bag with you, 2) use the bag to
pick up the waste, and 3) toss it in the trash! This is one of the easiest
things that we can all do to help out our waterways.
If you already cleanup after your pet or plan to after
reading this, then you have taken the first step in becoming a River Hero Home!
For more information about this program visit www.jamesriverhero.org .
To find out if your local stream or river is impaired and
why, visit this website: http://deq.virginia.gov/mapper_ext/default.aspx?service=public/2012_Draft_Any_Use
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