Georgia’s Clean Water Week is October 21-27, 2007. Clean Water Week is designed to promote water quality through education and outreach within the state of Georgia. During the week, local governments, private and civic organizations will work together to educate residents about how they can be a solution to water pollution through simple changes in behavior such as picking up litter, fixing car leaks and limiting the use to fertilizers. These are all important to keep rivers, lakes and streams clean.

Why should metro residents worry about water pollution when it hasn’t rained much this year? During dry times when stream flows are low, pollution in stormwater is more concentrated and will have a bigger impact in area streams when it does rain. 

More than 1,000 stream miles in the metro Atlanta area violate state water quality standards, and polluted stormwater runoff is the main cause of this problem. As rain flows off rooftops, across lawns and down driveways and streets, stormwater picks up pollutants and debris and carries them down the storm drains to our rivers, lakes and streams.  

Everyone can help protect water quality. Here is a list of 10 things you can do to be a solution to stormwater pollution: 

• Never dump anything on the street, down a storm drain or in a drainage ditch.
• Scoop up after your pet. Bag it and throw it away in the trash.
• Compost grass clippings and leaves or bag them for curbside collection.
• Use fertilizers and pesticides sparingly.  Do not apply on paved areas.
• Check your vehicles for leaks and repair them.
• Reduce, reuse and recycle the amount of cleaning and maintenance chemicals used at home.
• Recycle motor oil and other vehicle fluids
• Throw litter in it place
• Wash cars at a commercial car wash that recycles water. Washing your car yourself is not permitted during a total outdoor watering ban.
• Tell a friend or neighbor about how to prevent stormwater pollution and get involved.   

For more information about how you can be a solution to water pollution, please contact, the Clean Water Campaign at www.cleanwatercampaign.com.   

The Clean Water Campaign is a cooperative, multi-agency public education initiative spearheaded by local governments in metro Atlanta, supported by the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District and managed by the Atlanta Regional Commission.  Its mission is to build awareness of water quality problems and solutions in the Atlanta region.  For more information about the Clean Water Campaign, contact Charlene Njoroge at 404-463-3259.