WC-17: NO DUMPING FLOWS TO BAY
MATERIALS LIST
1 Large poster, “The Bay is Closer Than You Think” (Hollenbeck only)
"Help Protect Our Creeks and Bay" (North County)
Poster "Cars Pollute Water Too!"
"No Dumping, Flows Into Bay" Poster and Stencil
8 Small laminated copies of the above poster.
Erasable markers and eraser
Paper towels
1 Gallon water jug
1-2 Gallon bucket
7 Pollutant samples:
a. Soap
b. Garden fertilizer
c. Cement powder
d. Plastic material (Styrofoam)
e. Organic material (bread crumbs)
f. Insecticide (green water)
g. Motor Oil (syrup)
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No Dumping Flows To Bay
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NO DUMPING FLOWS TO BAY
DATE:
August, 1999
SOURCE: Jack Tooley & Stephanie Hughes
WC –17
OBJECTIVE:
To help students better understand that neighborhood storm drains are connected to
the creeks and Bay. To get students to understand that anything entering into the
storm drains can pollute the creeks and the Bay, thus affecting the health of the
watershed, the surrounding habitats and organisms living within them.
GRADE LEVELS:
2–4
SCIENCE THEMES: Systems and interactions
PROCESS SKILLS:
Relating, categorizing, communicating
FOCUS WORDS:
Storm drain, watershed, habitat, point source and nonpoint
source water pollution, pollution prevention and pollution control
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Do you know that most of the water that falls as rain in our area flows from the roofs of
our homes into gutters, into storm drains, then into streams, and finally flows into the San
Francisco Bay? Have you seen the blue and white signs with the picture of a shorebird
painted on the curb next to the storm drain? The signs say, "NO DUMPING - FLOWS
TO BAY".
How many people dump their used motor oil, garden insecticides, paint thinner, or weed
spray into a gutter or storm drain? It certainly isn't an uncommon practice, and yet the
people who do it probably have no idea where it goes. In Santa Clara and San Mateo
counties, most storm drains empty directly into creeks that flow directly to the San
Francisco Bay without treatment to remove pollutants. This is a good reason why you
should never pour anything into the gutter or storm drain.
What is point source and nonpoint source pollution?
Point source water pollution has its source in a well defined location such as the pipe in
which a factory discharges waste into a stream. Such pollution can be controlled by
pollution control devices that capture the pollutants and then treat them so that they
become less harmful.
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No Dumping Flows To Bay
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Nonpoint source water pollution has its source over large areas such as farmlands
(pesticides, fertilizers, animal wastes, and sediment), grazing lands (animal wastes,
sediment), coal mines (acid drainage), roadways (oil, de-icing salt, sediment) and storm
drains. Pollution from an unidentified source is much harder to control and clean-up, and
requires help from all of our communities.
What kinds of things pollute our storm drains?
• Motor oil and auto fluids which leak from cars
• Oil paint and household cleaners dumped into the gutter
• Soap and dirt from washing your car in the street
• Dirt, leaves, and lawn clippings left in the gutter
• Litter that is discarded onto our sidewalks and streets
• Weed killers, fertilizers, and pesticides that are washed off lawns
• Dog and pet wastes left on or near gutters
So when people dump pollutants into the gutter, they are really dumping them into the
creeks! Besides being ILLEGAL, the practice is sometimes deadly to fish, crayfish, and
other creek dwellers. Oil and household chemicals also pose a threat to our water supply.
In the right location - stream beds where there is rapid percolation (seepage) - these
chemicals can find their way through porous soils into deep drinking water aquifers.
You don't have to look far to find trash, lawn clippings, tree trimmings, old shopping
carts, mattresses, car parts, cans, bottles, old shoes, or used motor oil in and around
creeks.
It looks unsightly, and worse:
• It's a nuisance
• It costs taxpayers money to clean up
• It is a hazard during floods
• It can be a breeding place for rats and mosquitoes
• It creates pollutants which can kill plants and animals in our creeks and in the Bay
What can each of us do to help keep our Bay clean? Each family can recycle used paper,
cans, and bottles. Find out if your City or garbage company picks up the lawn and tree
trimmings for composting. If they don’t a good class project might be to campaign to
have a city-wide composting program. Take all household chemicals to an approved
disposal site. Your city or the garbage company can tell you where these are.
What is the difference between pollution control and pollution prevention?
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Pollution control captures pollution from waste streams (Point source pollution) and
uses controlling technologies such as sewage treatment plants to make pollutants less
toxic. Pollution control deals with pollution after it has been produced.
Pollution prevention involves techniques and measures to eliminate the production of
harmful pollutants. For example decreasing the amount of disposable materials we use.
We can use plastic containers in our lunches instead of baggies or foil which we usually
throw away after lunch.
ACTIVITIES:
Activity #1: How pollutants get into streams, creeks, rivers, oceans and bays. (10
minutes)
Introduction – Pose questions to determine what students know. (1– 2 minutes)
Sample questions:
Ask:
Does anyone know where the water goes when it rains?
Try to get to the storm drain, to creek, to Bay connection. Be patient coax them into
getting the answer themselves, rather than telling them the answers.
Do you know what a storm drain is? Does anyone have one near his or her home?
Do:
Show students the poster and ask someone to point to the storm drain(s).
Have you ever seen any of these in your neighborhood?
Message 1: Storm drains are connected to our watershed (1-2 minutes)
Ask:
Does anyone see a creek or river on the poster that might be connected to the storm
drains we circled?
Do any of you have a creek in your neighborhood?
How about a bigger body of water nearby?
If you have a particularly advanced group, ask if anyone can define the word
watershed. Try to lead them to the concept of an entire system being a single
watershed and that anything you do in one part of the watershed affects the system
somewhere else.
Message 2: We can all help to protect our environment. (6 minutes)
Ask:
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No Dumping Flows To Bay
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If there is trash or pollution in the streets or on the grass, where does that go when it
rains?
Why don't we want pollutants to go down storm drains?
Try to lead them to the understanding that birds and animals depend on the creeks and
the bay for food and shelter, and polluted waters are harmful to all living things.
Give each student or pair of students the small, laminated copy of the "Bay is Closer
Than You Think" drawing and ask them to:
Circle things that help keep our storm drains, creeks and bay clean.
Cross out things that can make the water dirty and harm wildlife.
Next, ask students to view the poster and point out behaviors/actions on the poster
that might add pollutants to the storm drain. Ask the kids to suggest alternatives to this
behavior, such as recycling oil rather than pouring it down the storm drain.
Some positive items to circle:
Man sweeping up debris on his front lawn
Trash can with lid in place
Woman carrying groceries in a reusable bag
Man walking dog with "pooper scooper"
Some negative items to cross out:
Concrete being washed down the storm drain
Car being washed with non-biodegradable soap
Blue car leaking cooling fluid
Man pouring used oil down storm drain
Toxic chemical spilled in garage
Periodically remind, or ask, students what else is being polluted, besides the water
that goes in to a storm drain. CREEKS, RIVERS, THE BAY, THE OCEAN
Activity #2: Create a container of polluted water. (8 minutes)
Ask:
Has anyone ever seen polluted water? What does it look like?
Do:
In a clear container, pour in clean water (E.V. can take a sip with a small paper cup).
Have a student pour a small amount of one of the seven pollutants into the water
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container and stir the contents. Let the students observe the “pollution soup”. Continue
the process letting each student have a turn until all contents are mixed. At each step
pause to see how the “pollution soup” is doing. After each student’s turn ask: “Now,
would anyone drink this water? Would anyone swim in it?”
Do:
See if the students can make the connection between these common items and how
they might affect the Bay, and its wetlands, including all the variety of organisms that
reside there.
Conclusion: Solidify the Themes (2 minutes)
Say:
I have a couple of rhymes for you before I leave:
"Only Rain Should Go Down the Storm Drain!" and "I am the Solution to Water
Pollution!"
Do:
Teach the kids the rhymes and ask them to repeat them to you
.
Ask:
What have we learned today?
General themes: Storm drains connect run-off water to other waters; pollutants
washed in to the storm drain go directly to various bodies of water; we are all
dependent on these waters to be clean; pollutants in these waters harms all living
things; we are all responsible for the good health of the environment; there are simple
things we can do that will have a positive affect on our water.
What will you do to help save the Bay?
© Environmental Volunteers
No Dumping Flows To Bay
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