Santa Ana Storm Water Program

TIPs

Don't wash your car in the street.

Go to a professional car wash facility.

If you do wash your car at home, use a nozzle on the hose to prevent excessive runoff.

Divert the wash water to your lawn or other landscape area to prevent the soapy water from reaching the storm drain.

Remember, any liquid discharge that runs off of your property into the roadway will end up at the ocean.

Any water coming from vehicle washing, or sweeping of leaves and grass clippings to the road will eventually go into the storm drain and then to the ocean.

Why is this a problem? Oil, coolant, and other chemicals being washed off from just one vehicle most likely would not be a problem. But just imagine there are over 3,000,000 residents in Orange County alone. Let's say in one weekend if only 10 percent of residents wash their cars in their own driveway and streets, that equates to over 300,000 car washes that cause damaging pollutants to wash into the storm drains and the ocean. To help protect our ocean, take your car to a car wash, or don't let the wash water run into the street--direct it to your lawn. Also, pick up after your pet as pet waste will also eventually end up at the ocean if not picked up.

Almost all of the trash in our streets ends up in our storm drains and flows directly into the Santa Ana River, which runs untreated into the ocean. Read more in our brochure.

Watch our Santa Ana to the Surf video.