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TAPP Fact Sheet
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- At least 50 percent of the water quality problems in the U.S. result from pointless personal pollution, contaminants that wash into our lakes and streams as a result of some of our daily activities.
- Yard fertilizer runoff from residential areas is estimated to be responsible for one-third of the excess nitrogen (from fertilizers) polluting waterways.
- A telephone survey was conducted in October 2006 with 825 randomly-selected Tallahassee area residents to gauge awareness levels of water quality issues.
- About 41 percent of the respondents said the water quality in our lakes, streams and groundwater declined over the past five years.
- When asked if they thought stormwater runoff contributes to water pollution, the vast majority (85 percent) felt that it does.
- The majority of respondents (56 percent) said they believe that runoff from their yards contributes to water pollution.
- When asked if they can make a difference in protecting our water by reducing the amount of water pollution coming from their own yard, the majority (54 percent) said they could make a difference.
- While a majority of respondents (66 percent) with yards have not done anything to lessen the amount of rainwater coming from their yards, about one-fourth of the respondents with yards said they had done something.
- The majority of respondents felt they know only a little or a fair amount about water pollution prevention and 18 percent said they know practically nothing about preventing water pollution.
Common Sources of Pollution
- Excess fertilizer applied to yards can cause an overgrowth of plant life when carried by stormwater runoff to nearby lakes and streams.
In most places, our local soils naturally contain enough phosphorus to make it unnecessary to apply more to our lawns.
- Choose a lawn fertilizer that has zero phosphorus.
- Thirty percent of the survey respondents said they had applied fertilizer to their yards over the past 12 months, while 70 percent said they had not.
- Erosion from soil carried in stormwater runoff is responsible for virtually all of the suspended solids pollution that affects Tallahassee lakes and other local waters.
- Sediment carried in runoff chokes the roots of wetland trees and shrubs.
- Slow the flow of water leaving your yard by planting a rain garden, and through the use of berms, swales and mulched beds.
- Rich topsoil from your lawn is a resource to conserve. In the water it smoothers fish eggs and the small critters on the bottom that the fish need to eat for survival. Keep your yard at home!
- Cover bare areas to stop soil erosion. Create mulched beds, which absorb water, stabilize soil temperatures, allow better root growth, and reduce erosion and soil compaction.
- Leave grass clippings on the lawn.
- Washing one's car can result in personal pollution.
- Wash cars on a grassy area if possible, to allow the water to percolate into the ground.
- Pour soapy water down the sink, not into the street or storm drain.
- While 45 percent of survey respondents have their cars washed at a car wash, 42 percent wash their cars at home.
- Maintaining your car or truck at home can contribute damaging substances to stormwater runoff.
- Check your vehicle for drips and oil leaks.
- Place drip pans under the vehicle if leaks are found.
- Never dump motor oil, antifreeze, transmission fluid or other engine fluids into gutters or on the ground.
- Recycle used motor oil.
- Pests are a pain, but getting rid of them can create problems if pesticides are not applied correctly.
- Identify the type of pests that may be infesting your home or lawn and choose the correct herbicide or pesticide.
- Many insects are beneficial insects and provide a natural alternative to pest-control problems.
- Use non-chemical approaches to pest control, such as pruning off affected areas.
- Use more environmentally friendly formulas like horticulture oils and insecticidal soaps.
- Only about one out of four respondents with yards dispose of yard and garden chemicals and containers properly by taking them to a hazardous waste disposal site.
- Properly functioning septic systems are important to maintain.
- Proper location, design and installation are all necessary for the proper function and long life span for a septic system.
- Protect the drainfield to avoid compacting the soil in the drainfield and crushing the pipes. Keep heavy items off the septic field.
- Do not plant trees near the septic system. In Florida, tree roots are a major cause of septic system failure when they clog drainfield piping.
- Proper septic management requires the system to be inspected and emptied every three to five years as needed.
- A properly maintained septic system can improve treatment efficiency and extend the life of the system indefinitely.
- Pick up after pets. Pollutants from pet waste may wash into storm drains into our lakes and streams.
- Approximately 44 percent of survey respondents interviewed have one or more pets.
The TAPP campaign is funded in part by a Section 319 Nonpoint Source Management Program Implementation grant to the City of Tallahassee from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through an agreement with the Nonpoint Source Management Section of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
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