Water Pollution Prevention

Stormwater flows untreated from hard surfaces into storm drains, carrying pollutants like pesticides, pet waste, and oil into local creeks, Jordan Lake, and drinking water sources. This harms waterways, wildlife, and recreational areas. Whether you rent, own, or visit, use these tips to help prevent water pollution and protect our community and ecosystem. 

Tips to Prevent Pollution

In your yard

Choose Smart Lawn Care

Pollutant: Nutrients from fertilizer, grass clippings, and loose leaves

  • Use fertilizer only if a soil test recommends it. Pick zero-phosphate formulas when possible.
  • Check the weather—don’t fertilize before rain.
  • Keep grass clippings and leaves on your lawn or compost them. Never blow them into streets or storm drains.
  • Ask lawn services to mow high and dispose of yard waste properly.
  • Use the Town’s curbside yard waste pickup for leaves, twigs, and clippings.

Loose leaves are natural fertilizer for your lawn—but when they wash into streams, they cause algae blooms that harm fish, wildlife, and even people.

Plant a Rain Garden

Rain gardens capture runoff, reduce flooding, and help refill groundwater. Even small gardens make a big difference when placed correctly and maintained.

Prevent Erosion and Protect Streams

  • Plant trees and shrubs to hold soil and absorb water.
  • Keep natural buffers along streams to filter pollution.
  • Use native plants—they thrive here and protect local ecosystems.
  • Remove invasive species that harm streambanks.

With pets

Pick up pet waste and throw it away

Pollutant: Nutrients, bacteria, parasites from pet waste

In Chapel Hill, leaving out pet waste is against our Water Pollution Ordinance.

Dog poop contains bacteria and parasites that can harm humans and other animals if left on the ground. Bagging and trashing dog poop reduces the amount of roundworms, hookworms, E. coli, Giardia, and Salmonella in your neighborhood and local parks.

Helpful Tips

  • Bag and trash cat litter.
  • DO NOT compost pet waste in home composting piles. Your home compost doesn't get hot enough to kill the harmful bacteria in pet waste.
  • Carry bags with you when you walk your dog. Bags can be tied or clipped to the leash and thrown away in the trash.
  • Request a 6"x9" sign (seen below) for your neighborhood by calling 919-969-RAIN or email stormwater@townofchapelhill.org.

 

At home

Look for outlet pipes in creek banks on your property

Pollutants: Metals from shingles; fast-moving water, hot water; sediment from erosion

 Pipes should not travel directly from your house into a local creek. All indoor drains must be connected to the sanitary sewer system by a licensed plumber.

Roof drains shouldn't go directly into the creek as this can cause erosion. Runoff from roofs can contain shingle particles and metals like aluminum, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, and zinc. If your yard is large enough, disconnect your roof drains and allow the water to run into a landscaped area, cistern, or rain garden.

Think about how you wash things outside

Pollutants: Soaps; other chemicals

Detergents, paints, and chlorine damage water quality and kill the critters who live in our streams. Even "biodegradable" or "natural" cleansers are not safe for our watersheds. Soaps, cleaners, and wash water should be disposed into indoor drains only so they can enter the sanitary sewer system.

When you wash your car or pool, make sure wash water doesn't go down storm drains or into creeks. Wash your car on grass or go to a commercial carwash where the water will be filtered and treated.

Before service contractors begin work, you can ask them for their wash water discharge plan. 

Maintain your septic system

Pollutants: Nutrients and bacteria from sewage; household chemicals

Not all properties in our community are connected to the sanitary sewer system. If you have a working septic system, be sure to have it pumped about every five years.  Poorly maintained septic systems can leach bacteria and waste into the ground and water. 

Learn more about septic system requirements in Orange County.

Protect your plumbing

Pollutants: Nutrients from sewage spills

Be careful what you put in indoor drains and toilets. In Chapel Hill and Carrboro, the sanitary sewer system is separate from the stormwater system. Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) manages local drinking water treatment and distribution and sewage treatment.

Sewage travels through pipes placed along Chapel Hill and Carrboro's creeks. These pipes lead to the sewage treatment center. Leaks, backups, and overflows of the sanitary sewer lines happen when they are blocked by grease, rags, "flushable" wipes, personal hygiene products, or roots. When blocks happen, raw sewage flows into creeks and down storm drains.

Reduce and dispose of hazardous household waste responsibly

Pollutants: Grease, household chemicals

Household hazardous waste includes cooking oil and any other items in your home that may be toxic, flammable, corrosive, or otherwise hazardous.

Keeping hazardous materials out of landfills reduces potential pollution and protects our groundwater. Orange County can help residents and businesses manage and reduce the use of these materials

Orange County Hazardous Household Waste Collection Center

You can take your waste to the Waste & Recycling Centers on Eubanks Road in Chapel Hill and Walnut Grove Church Road in Hillsborough. Before you go, check out what you can bring on Orange County's Hazardous Household Waste webpage.

Helpful Tips

 

 

With vehicles

Don't drip and drive

Pollutants: Oil; motor fluids

Repair your vehicle as quickly as possible. Rain and runoff can carry motor oil and other vehicle fluids from the road into storm drains, local creeks, and Jordan Lake. Oil is toxic to people, wildlife, and plants.

Recycle used fluids responsibly

Pollutants: Oil; motor fluids

Car fluids like transmission fluid, power steering fluid, gear oil, motor oil and antifreeze can be processed and recycled into new fluids. Fuel and other flammable liquids are hazardous and must be stored and disposed of properly, but many of them can be recycled or reused as alternative fuels.

Think about outdoor washing practices

Pollutants: Soaps; other chemicals

  • Keep the wash water out of the street, storm drains, and creeks.
  • Wash your car on gravel or grass and direct the wash water into a grassy area.
  • Use half the amount of detergent (or none at all) so it breaks down faster.

Can't keep the wash water out of the street(PDF, 2MB)? Go to a commercial car wash where the water will be filtered and treated.

Commercial vehicle auto repair, fleet maintenance, and car wash resources

 

 

With pools

Pollutant: Chemicals

Chlorine, water conditioners, bromine, algaecides, biocides, stabilizers, salts, and other chemicals used in pool and spa water are toxic to fish and other aquatic life.

Pool chemicals are prohibited by law from being discharged into storm drains.

Learn how to drain your pool water and dispose of backwash(PDF, 967KB).

 

 

Pollution Prevention in Restaurants

In 2009, UNC-Chapel Hill’s Institute for the Environment and the Town of Chapel Hill's Stormwater Management Division began a partnership under a grant from the Wallace Genetic Foundation to develop water pollution prevention training materials for food service  managers and employees.

Food service managers and supervisors  receive posters, videos and guides when they attend a train-the-trainer workshop.  They may also call Chapel Hill Stormwater Management at 919-969-7246 for presentations.

Video:  Keep Restaurant Pollution and Profits From Going Down the Stormwater Drain

Video: La Historia de Jorge: Como Los Empleados de Restaurante Pueden Proteger Nuestra Agua (with English subtitles)  

Poster:(PDF, 3MB) English

Poster:(PDF, 7MB) Spanish  

Chapel Hill Training Materials

Congratulations to the following food service establishments whose staff supervisors trained their employees and made remarkable changes to protect our waterways:

    *The Stratford Assisted Living Dining Services
    *Hunam Restaurant
    *The Agora at Granville Towers
    *The Lantern

Businesses may contact Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) regarding sanitary sewer or grease traps.

Small quantities of hazardous waste from businesses are accepted without charge at the Orange County Landfill's household hazardous waste center on Eubanks Road.  More information

 

 

Report Pollution

If you see suspected water pollution:

Include:

  • Exact location
  • Specific details about what you see or smell

 

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