We know we are supposed to have clean hands before we eat and clean teeth after we eat.  But, clean storm drains?  What is that all about?

Well, guess what?  Everything that goes down a storm drain runs through the drainage system and eventually ends up in our streams! Anything that enters a storm drain goes to a local lake or river. It does not go to a waste water treatment facility.

It ends up in the waterways where we and our children swim, fish, and go boating. We are all affected by what goes in the storm drain!

If each one of us makes sure that only rain - and none of the yucky stuff - goes down the drain, we can protect our streams and rivers, both for ourselves and for future generations. Each person might think he or she has little effect on our streams and rivers, but the metro Wichita area has more than 500,000 people! Imagine if 500,000 people kept yucky stuff out of the storm drains! If we all work together, we could make a difference.

So, here is a checklist of yucky stuff that we must keep out of our storm drains and yards, and off our streets.

• Paints
  Leftover paint can be taken to HHW.
  Never wash paintbrushes and containers out in the driveway or street!

• Motor Oil
  Car maintenance should be performed under a cover or inside a garage. Used oil can be disposed at HHW or Wal-Mart.
  Never use motor oil for weed or pest control!

• Household Chemicals
  Take leftover household cleaners, lubricants, medications, etc. to HHW.
  Never dispose of these down the drain!

• Lawn Chemicals (Fertilizers and Herbicide)
  Apply fertilizer and herbicides according to label instructions - no more no less! Take leftover lawn chemicals to HHW.

• Leaves and Grass Clippings
  Collect leaves and grass clippings for compost, take to compost recycler or bag for trash collection.
  Dumping leaves or grass clipping in the street or a stormwater inlet is illegal!

• Dirty or Soapy Water
  Dispose of soapy or dirty water (also known as grey water) in the sanitary sewer - typically a kitchen sink, mud sink or bath drain inside your home.
  Do not throw out in the street or down the driveway.

• Cigarettes
  Don't be a butthead! The biggest myth is that cigarette filters are biodegradable. The acetate (plastic) filters can take many years to decompose. Smokers may not realize that their actions have such a lasting, negative impact on the environment.

• Pet Wastes
  Pollution of waterways by animal waste, including pet waste, can contaminate our waterways. Pet wastes contain bacteria which can cause diseases in humans and other animals. When walking your dog, take along a Ziploc bag or newspaper bag and pick up your dog's waste. Keep your lawn free of pet waste - it's the law!! The waste needs to be cleaned from the ground as soon as possible in order to reduce your pet's pawprint on the earth.

• Trash
  Don't litter! When it rains, the trash along the roadsides can affect stream water quality via rain water runoff and can block the storm drain resulting in area street flooding.