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Protecting our Creeks, Rivers, and the Bay From Pollution

What you should not put down the drain

Outdoors, almost any cleaner or chemical can harm our creek-life. Most soaps, food and human wastes are treated well at the sewage treatment plant [San Jose/Santa Clara Water Pollution Control Plant]. Residents should not dispose of Household and Automotive Chemicals in a sink or toilet. These pollutants will partially pass into the treatment plant's sludge or worse, the Bay. [Proper Disposal of Household Hazardous Waste]. Other than proper disposal, there are a few other practical things you can do inside to minimize pollution.

  • Please don't use household products that contain pesticides (like some flea dips)
  • Use thimerosal free contacts cleaning solution (contains mercury)
  • Use merbromin free germicides and antiseptics (contain mercury)
  • Use dandruff shampoos that do not contain selenium
  • Use glazes and artist's paints that do not contain heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel, and zinc. Clean-up water will carry these pollutants into sewage treatment plant sludge or perhaps the South San Francisco Bay.
  • Solutions from etching metals should be collected and disposed of as hazardous waste. For disposal information, please visit the Santa Clara County Household Hazardous Waste Disposal page.
  • Let solvents evaporate from rags used for stripping furniture before throwing away or washing.
  • Please do not use more water than you need (it dilutes the saltiness of the Bay).

Issues for General Awareness

Home water softeners contribute salt to the water used in a house. This salt stays dissolved in the water once it goes down the drain. The sewage treatment plant cleans our wastewater, but cannot remove the salt. Reducing the salt will make this recycled water more usable for irrigation and industrial uses. Learn more about recycled water at the South Bay Water Recycling site.

Copper piping carries water inside most homes. Corrosion of this piping is thought to be one of the major sources of copper coming to the sewage treatment plant. It has not been determined conclusively whether the amount of copper in the San Jose/Santa Clara Water Pollution Control Plant's treated wastewater is harmful to Bay life. But you can help yourself and play it safe for the Bay by doing a couple of things to minimize the amount of copper leaving your house.

  • Do not set your hot water heater at a higher temperature than what the manufacturer recommends. This will prolong the life of your plumbing system since hotter water increases the corrosion rate.
  • When installing new copper piping, ask plumbers to follow the Guidelines for Plumbers. Following these guidelines should also prolong the life of your plumbing system and minimize our impact on Bay life.

 

 

  

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