|
 Clean beaches and healthy creeks, rivers,
bays, and ocean are important to Orange County. However, many common
household activities can lead to water pollution if you’re
not careful.
Materials and excess concrete or mortar can
be blown or washed into the storm drains that flow to the ocean.
Unlike water in sanitary sewers (from sinks and toilets),
water in storm drains is not treated before entering our waterways.
You would never throw building materials
into the ocean, so don’t
let them enter
the storm drains. Follow these easy tips to help prevent water pollution.
For more information, please call the Orange
County Stormwater Program at (714) 567-6363 or visit the Stormwater page.
To report a spill, call the Orange County
24-Hour Water Pollution Problem Reporting Hotline at (714) 567-6363.
The tips contained in this brochure provide
useful information about how you can keep materials and washwater
from entering the storm drain system. If you have other suggestions
for how water and materials may be contained, please contact your
city’s stormwater representative or call the Orange County Stormwater
Program.
| For
emergencies dial 911. |
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Before the Project
- Schedule projects for dry weather.
- Store materials under cover, with temporary roofs or plastic
sheets, to eliminate or reduce the possibility that the materials
can be carried from the project site to streets, storm drains
or adjacent properties via rainfall, runoff or wind.
- Minimize
waste by ordering only the amount of materials needed to complete
the job.
- Take measures to block nearby storm drain inlets.
During the Project
- Set up and operate small mixers on tarps or heavy drop
cloths.
- Do not mix more fresh concrete or cement than is
needed for the job.
- When breaking up pavement, pick up
all chunks and pieces and recycle them at a local
construction and demolition recycling company.
- When making saw cuts in pavement, protect nearby storm drain
inlets during the saw-cutting operation and contain the slurry.
Collect the slurry residue from the pavement or gutter and remove
from the site.
Clean-Up
- Dispose of small amounts of dry concrete, grout or mortar
in the trash.
- Never hose materials from exposed aggregate
concrete, asphalt or similar treatments into a street, gutter,
parking lot, or storm drain.
- Wash concrete mixers and equipment in
designated washout areas where the water can flow into a containment
area
or onto dirt. Small amounts of dried material can be disposed
of in the trash. Large amounts should be recycled at a local
construction
and demolition recycling company.
- Recycle cement washwater
by pumping it back into cement mixers for reuse.
Spills
- Never hose down pavement or impermeable surfaces where fluids
have spilled. Use an absorbent material such as cat litter to
soak up a spill, then sweep and dispose in the trash.
- Clean
spills on dirt areas by digging up and properly disposing of
contaminated dry soil in trash.
- Immediately report significant
spills to the County’s 24-Hour Water Pollution Problem
Reporting Hotline at 714-567-6363 or log onto the County’s
website at www.ocwatersheds.com and fill out an incident
reporting form.
For
a list of construction and demolition recycling locations in your
area visit www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Recycle/.
For additional information on how to control, prevent, remove,
and reduce pollution refer to the Stormwater Best Management Practice
Handbook, available on-line at www.cabmphandbooks.com.
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