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For Immediate Release
The First Rain of the Season is Here -
Redwood City Urges Residents to Help Protect Our Creeks, Streams,
and Watersheds
Redwood City, CA - October 31, 2003 -
The first rain of the season has come to the Bay Area region,
bringing more than just cloudy skies and traffic problems.
Rain also generates an upsurge in water pollution as trash
and other pollutants that accumulate during the dry season
flow through Bay Area watersheds and into storm drains and
waterways.
Runoff from our streets, sidewalks, parking lots, and other
man-made surfaces goes into storm drains and waterways, sweeping
up litter and debris in its path. During storms trash, organic
matter, and automotive pollutants are primary sources of pollution
that threaten water quality and wildlife in our local watersheds.
The City of Redwood City and the Bay Area Clean Water Agencies
(BACWA) urge residents to learn more about their local watershed
and to become active in reducing pollution.
Storms flush large amounts of pollutants down Bay Area watersheds
causing erosion, destroying habitat, depleting oxygen levels,
and poisoning fish. Most people don't realize that even leaves
and grass clippings carried into creeks with rainy weather
can disrupt the ecological health of our waterways. Our irreplaceable
watersheds and waterways are necessary to support habitat
for plants and animals, and they provide drinking water for
people and wildlife.
The good news is that reducing such runoff pollution during
the rainy season is preventable. BACWA offers a list of 6
things residents can do to make a difference in their watershed.
- Set an example for others by not littering; if you do
see litter, pick it up and put it in a trash can.
- Carry a litterbag in your car or bicycle.
- Keep trash containers covered securely to prevent wind
or animals from spreading litter.
- Keep leaves and yard clippings picked up around your
home and recycle as green waste.
- Regularly maintain your vehicle to avoid auto fluid leaks
that build-up on roadway surfaces.
- Organize or join in the cleanup of a neighborhood, creek,
estuary, or wetland.
BACWA is a consortium of local government stormwater and
wastewater treatment agencies working to reduce stormwater
and wastewater pollution in the region. Visit BACWA’s
website at www.bacwa.org.
Visit Redwood City’s website at www.redwoodcity.org
for information about the City and its services, the
community, recreation programs, education, and City government.
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Contact: Marilyn Harang
Public Works Superintendent
(650) 780-7464
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