Tips for Improving Local Water Quality

• Limit paved or other impervious surfaces on your property and consider alternatives to solid concrete.
• Don’t overuse fertilizers. Have your soil tested before applying fertilizer and know the specific needs of your plants.
• Keep fertilizer off driveways and sidewalks where it will be washed into storm drains.
• Do not apply fertilizer or pesticides if heavy rain is expected.
• Use pesticides and herbicides according to label’s exact directions since they can be toxic to wildlife and can contaminate waterbodies.
• Clean up after pets and dispose of waste in the trash or toilet.
• Keep lawn clippings out of nearby ponds and streams.
• Maintain motor vehicles and repair leaks promptly. Fluids like antifreeze, battery acid, brake fluid, gasoline and motor oil can pollute waterbodies.
• Clean cars at commercial car washes or spray booths. Washing a car in the driveway sends soap and other debris into storm drains.
• Direct roof and patio runoff onto lawn or flower beds and not directly into storm drains or ponds.
• Reduce soil erosion by planting appropriate plant cover on bare patches of ground.
• Encourage a vegetated buffer of native plants along the bank of ponds to control erosion and provide habitat for wildlife.
• Reduce the water requirements of your landscaping by selecting plants suited to the local environment with minimal need for supplemental watering. Use drip irrigation or soaker hoses for supplemental watering. Consider mulching to reduce evaporation.

Pond in Murrell's Inlet