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Stormwater occurs when rain fall onto impervious surfaces, such as driveways, parking lots and roads, and flows over the ground surface rather than infiltrating through the soil. Without infiltration, water flows over land and collects sediment and other non-point source pollutants that lie in its path on its way to a watershed causing contamination, ruining drinking water and killing fish and wildlife.

What is a Non-Point Source Pollutant?

Non-point source pollutants can include oil and sand from roadways, pesticides, fertilizers, animal wastes, sediments from construction sites, crop and forest lands, eroding streambanks, nutrients and toxic materials from urban and suburban areas. The effects of non-point source pollutants on specific waters vary and may not always be fully assessed.  However, we know that these pollutants have harmful effects on drinking water supplies, recreation, fisheries, and wildlife.

What is a Watershed?

Household hazardous wastes are produced when household hazardous materials are no longer wanted or needed as household products.

What are Household Hazardous Materials?

We use hazardous products every day in our homes. These products become a hazard when improper use or disposal will cause a threat to the environment or human health. Many common household products, such as paints, solvents, drain openers, oven cleaners, polishes, waxes, pesticides, cleaning agents and spent automotive products, have hazardous properties. The properties that make these products hazardous are:

     Flammable: Easily set on fire or ignited

     Corrosive/Caustic: Burn and destroy living tissue on contact

     Explosive/Reactive: Detonate or explode by exposure to heat, sudden shock or pressure

     Toxic/Poision: Capable of causing injury or death through ingestion, inhalation or absorption through the skin

How to Identify Household Hazardous Products?

To help you identify these hazardous products, federal law requires them to be labeled with warnings about their use, storage, and disposal. These labels include signal words to help you quickly identify hazardous products. The words "Danger" (most toxic), "Warning", and "Caution" (least toxic) are used to help identify the various degrees of toxicity.

Why Should you be Concerned about Household Hazardous Waste?