Not everyone lives next to a pond or stream, but everyone lives in a watershed. This means that everyone impacts water quality in some way. A watershed is simply the land area that contributes water to a specific body of water. In the case of Macomb County, most residents are part of the Clinton River Watershed which contributes water to Lake St. Clair. This means that when water runs across the property of someone within the Clinton River Watershed, the drainage system of rivers, streams, and man-made storm drains eventually takes the water to Lake St. Clair. Common activities of how you dispose of used motor oil or how you fertilize and irrigate your lawn and garden can affect water quality. This is especially important since more than one million people live within the Clinton River Watershed. Small quantities of pollution by each resident of the watershed could become significant once the pollution accumulates within Lake St. Clair. By paying careful attention to how you manage activities in and around your home, we can protect the water quality of the Clinton River and Lake St. Clair.

Here are a few tips to follow:

• Fertilizers and other pollutants should be kept out of the path of storm water.
  
  Sweep your driveway after fertilizers are applied so that they are absorbed by your lawn and do not run down the local storm drain. Also, clean up after a car drips oil or any other pollutants are spilled on your property.
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  Direct storm water from downspouts onto lawns or gardens rather than onto a driveway or sidewalk. Impervious surfaces carry the water directly to a storm drain. This can carry more pollutants into Lake St. Clair or, in some cases, contribute to a Combined Sewer Overflow.
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  A lawn needs no more than 1" to 1.5" of water per week. This includes both rain and irrigation. Take control of your sprinkler system, or the sprinkler system of your company or apartment complex, and do not water when it is not needed. In addition, MSU research indicates that turf should be watered lightly and frequently rather than deeply and infrequently. Thus, do not water your lawn for long periods of time.
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  Take hazardous household products to the Macomb County Health Department. The department collects these products on a regular basis and can get them out of our waste stream and prevent them from leaching into our groundwater. Call the Health Department at (586) 469-5467 to schedule a time to drop off any material. In addition, keep in mind that all post offices in Macomb County collect used batteries (not automobile).
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  Make sure that if you have a septic system, you maintain it properly. Regular pumping and an awareness of what is entering a septic system are conscientious ways of protecting your family and the environment. If you are interested in learning more about septic maintenance, click here.

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