Reduce your pollution

The city’s stormwater problems won't be solved by large municipal projects alone.  There are about 17 square miles of land within the city limits of Danville. 3.6 square miles are public land and roadways; 13.4 square miles are privately owned! That is almost 80% of the City (and 80% of the area rainwater falls on). That is why private property owners can and do make a large difference in how our stormwater makes its way to the creeks and lake. 

Do your part to protect our waters! Reducing pollution helps make our waterways safer for drinking, recreation and wildlife, now and for future generations!

Household Chemicals

Homes can be filled with hazardous wastes: chemicals that are toxic, corrosive, flammable or otherwise dangerous. Some examples which might be under your sink right now include drain cleaner, oven cleaner, paint and paint thinner. Most of these products have warnings on them including the words caution, hazardous, danger, flammable, or poison.
​
These chemicals don’t affect storm water while in the bottles, but you might be tempted to dispose of them down sinks, toilets, or in your normal trash. Check the labels for how to dispose of unused chemicals and consider some other options…

• Never pout them down the storm drain or into a sink or toilet.
• Instead, share unused product with neighbors or friends.
• Buy only what you need to keep from storing or throwing out the extra.
• Choose non-hazardous products.​

• Buy phosphate-free, biodegradable, and water-based products because they are typically less toxic.
• Look for DIY cleaning product recipes.  Baking soda and/or vinegar can clean a wide variety of surfaces.
• The US EPA's Safer Choice website provides a searchable database of products which perform well and are safer for human health.

Lawn and garden

Lawn care has many storm water pollution culprits.

• Fertilizer can easily wash off your lawn and into waterways if improperly applied.
  • Test the soil before application if possible.
  • Use a fertilizer with a nutrient balance that works for your lawn.  Your grass color and growth pattern can tell you what nutrient it needs.
  • Use as little fertilizer as possible.
  • Fertilize in the fall, if at all.
• Pesticides are designed to kill something, so make sure you’re using them properly, if at all.
  • Identify the pest and pick the correct pesticide. Don’t use a general pesticide when something less toxic would work.
  • Follow instructions and do not over apply.
  • Catch the pests early to reduce the control measures needed.
  • Use non-toxic options (Integrated Pest Management), like hand removal, whenever possible.
  • Or try making your own Insecticidal Soap Spray

Photo From of USDA NRCS

• Remove leaves and grass clippings from streets to keep them from  clogging the storm system (and flooding the streets).
• Plant or seed bare spots in your yard to prevent erosion.
• Recycle yard waste.  It is illegal to dispose of yard waste with your household trash.
• Or compost your yard waste.  It's the "single most important supplement you can give your garden soil."
• Clean up after pets!

Scoop the Poop - Clean up after your pets!

Dog waste is considered an environmental pollutant by the Environmental Protection Agency!  It is NOT a good fertilizer, and is actually toxic to your lawn, causing burns and unsightly discoloring.
​

• 1 gram of dog waste (the size of a small marble) contains 23 million fecal coliform bacteria!
• Dog feces are one of the most common carriers: Whipworms, Hookworms, Roundworms, Tapeworms, Parvo, Corona, Giardiasis, Salmonellosis, Cryptosporidiosis, Campylobacteriosis.
• According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) pet droppings can contribute to diseases animals pass to humans, called zoonoses.  The eggs of certain roundwoms and other parasites can linger in your soil for years, and anyone who comes in contact with that soil runs a risk of coming into contact with those eggs - especially your dog (who can become re-infected).
• America's 83 million pet dogs produce some 10.6 million tons of poop every year. That's enough to fill a line of tractor trailers from Seattle to Boston.

 ​Let's try to keep that all out of our waterways! 

Dog poop, like other sources of pollution, washes off our lawns. It flows into our storm drains and then into our creeks or into Lake Vermilion. it's important to clean up after your pet and keep those nasty diseases out of our waterways. 

• ​Use non-biodegradable/non-compostable bags.  Those actually release greenhouse gases when landfilled. Recycled plastic bags made in the USA are the best alternative.
• Re-use your grocery bags as pickup bags.
• Consider flushing it (not with the bags) where it will be treated at a wastewater treatment facility.
• If you have the room, you may consider composting it in a Doggie Dooley or similar system.
• Or build a doggie composting unit yourself.
• Evaluate your dog's diet.  Biologically appropriate foods = less waste.

De-icing/Salting

​Winter in the Midwest means ice, which for many people means salt. The City takes care of the roads, but what about your driveway and walks? Residents often salt their properties, but this can cause storm water pollution. Consider using other means of de-icing.
 
Some alternatives to salting your walks and driveway:

• Keep areas shoveled to prevent ice buildup in the first place.
• Pre-treat walkways which reduces salt use in the long run.
• Mix sand with salt to add traction and reduce how much salt you’ll need. Used sparingly, sand can make your site safer.

​It’s important when you’re not using your deicer that it is properly stored in an airtight container. This will keep it from getting wet and clumping together, or even leaching/leaking - saving you money by not wasting the product!

Car Owners

Car care uses many potential storm water pollutants: oil, grease, zinc from tires, brake fluid and so many others. If you’re caring for your car by yourself, make sure you’re taking care of our waterways at the same time.

• Wash your car at car washes or on grass to help keep soaps, grease, and everything else out of the storm system.
• Recycle motor oil and batteries.
• Sweep your work space instead of hosing it down.
• Clean up oil and other fluids with absorbing materials like kitty litter. Dispose of used materials at a hazardous waste site.
• Avoid spills by using drip pans and being careful during auto care.
• For a list of used oil, empty oil container, and used oil filter recycling facilities, click here, or Search earth911.com.  Be sure to call the facility for details.
• Recycle transmission fluid.

Boat Owners

If you boat on Lake Vermilion, you may be contributing to the pollution of our waters. Watch out for these common pollution sources and treat our waterways with respect.

• Keep Trash Out of the Water
• Clean your boat with plain water and keep the hull waxed to prevent build up.
• Choose phosphate-free, biodegradable, and non-toxic cleaners when necessary.
• Use environmentally friendly paints, as most anti-fouling paints contain toxic materials like copper, mercury, arsenic, and tributyltin.
• Keep oil absorbent materials in the bilge. Dispose of it once a year by double bagging it in heavy plastic and putting it in the trash. Use a bilge cleaner with an enzyme base and NEVER discharge bilge water with an oil sheen.
• Old oil should be recycled.  Click here or search earth911.com to find recycling facilities.
• Make sure to store batteries under a cover and recycle old batteries.

Paint

​Storing Paint
Sealed well and stored in a cool, dark location, latex or water-based paint typically has a shelf life of ten years.  Solvent or oil-based paint can last up to fifteen years if stored properly. More info here.

​Disposing of Paint
​​Consider donating your paint to a community center, charity, place of worship, local theater, or Habitat for Humanity ReStore.  They're often working on projects with a limited budget and could use the extra supplies.

Latex paint can be thrown in the trash, if prepared properly:

• ​Mix equal parts cat litter-to-paint​, either in the can or in a lined box.
• Stir until thickened and will not spill.
• Allow to site for one hour or more.​
• Throw the paint can and contents in the garbage.  Be sure to remove the lid.
• Or remove the lid and allow the paint to dry if only a small amount remains in the can.

​Oil-based paints are considered household hazardous waste (HHW) and should be taken to a recycling center (see information below).  Macon County (Decatur) offers liquid paint collection events on certain Wednesdays, throughout the year.  Drop off is open to any Illinois resident.  However, with no local paint recycling facilities, it is best to stick to latex paints!

Household Hazardous Waste Drop Offs

​Long-term household hazardous waste collection sites are available in Naperville, Chicago, Rockford, and Lake County (Gurnee).  Links to each site's webpage and drop-off information can be found at the Illinois EPA's Illinois Household Hazardous Waste Collection page.