Clean water starts at home – the little changes you make can improve water for our health, our pets and wildlife.
Many of New Castle County’s waterways are polluted and much of it is coming from what we do in our own homes and yards.
You can be part of the solution to improve New Castle County’s water by pledging to help with these 5 easy steps.
Together, New Castle County residents can make a difference.
Join Us – It’s free, simple, and we can help you get started. Take the Pledge!
Dispose of household chemicals, trash, and recyclables appropriately – when in doubt, check the product label or the Delaware Solid Waste Authority for the proper disposal method. By keeping waste out sewers, storm drains, and rivers, we can all play a part in keeping Delaware’s waterways clean! Did You
For the second year, New Castle County’s Clean Stream Champion program is partnering with The Tree for Every Delawarean Initiative (TEDI) to help distribute free native trees to Delawareans. These trees are available on a first-come, first-served basis. This year, we have doubled the number of trees to 500. The
1: Before the leaves come out and the birds start nesting is a great time to prune trees and shrubs. Always make your cut just above a bud, to avoid unsightly & unhealthy stubs. When cutting back dried stems, leave some at knee high so the solitary bees, which are
Spring has sprung and for many people that means long afternoons mowing the lawn, pulling weeds, prepping your garden, and/or planting new flowers to brighten up the yard. Tending to our outdoor spaces can take a lot of maintenance, but luckily we have a few tricks and tips that
The spring rain barrel sale is now open and these barrels are going fast! New Castle County residents who pledge to be a Clean Stream Champion can purchase an Earth Minded Rain Barrel for $50. Rain barrels collect free rainwater to water gardens, trees, and lawns and even wash cars,
What you can do:
Learn more: www.nccde.org/213/Fats-Oils-Grease
Whenever possible, buy products that are free of toxic chemicals. Read the label and choose the least hazardous product to do the job. The words “warning”, “danger”, and “poison” indicate that the product’s ingredients are harmful so try to avoid. Try to select products that are made from plant-based materials, such as citrus, vegetable or pine oils.
What you can do:
Runoff can be contaminated and also causes flooding. Before our region was developed, most of the land was covered in forests, wetlands and marshes. When it rained, most of the rainwater would slowly soak into the ground. Because our landscape now includes homes, businesses and shopping centers, rainwater can’t soak through hard surfaces such as roads and parking lots but instead runs quickly over these surfaces and causes flooding.
What can you do:
If you live in a community, you can also make a difference by:
Dumping harmful pollutants, such as motor oil, into storm drains is illegal. New Castle County residents should report any pollution going into or out of the storm sewer system by contacting the pollution hotline at:
Call or text 302STOPPIT (302.786.7748), or write hotline@302stoppit.org
Learn more: www.302stoppit.org/home
City of Newark:
Gardening with native plants – plants that originated in this area – supports both water and wildlife. These plants thrive in our climate and are easy to grow and care for without using extra water or chemicals. Native trees, shrubs and plants improve water quality by filtering pollutants and help to absorb excess water with their deep roots. Plus, their seeds, berries and leaves are great food for birds, butterflies and pollinating insects.
What you can do:
If you don’t have a yard, you can still make a difference:
Scoop the Poop
Help stop Poo-llution and keep harmful bacteria out of our waters. Picking up after your pet is a simple way to keep pollution out of our waterways while keeping our parks, neighborhoods and yards clean.
There are over 110,000* dogs in New Castle County generating approximately 41 tons* of poop daily. It’s the same as untreated sewage washing into our waters!
An average size dog dropping can contain 3 billion harmful bacteria. Rain washes these bacteria and nutrients into our streams, rivers and beaches which can make water unsafe for swimming and recreation.
What you can do:
If you don’t have a dog, you can still make a difference:
* Estimate based on 34% of households owning 1.6 dogs (American Veterinary Medical Assoc) x 200,000 NCC households (US Census 2013-17) x .75 lbs waste/dog
