Water Quality Improvement

Pollution to our creeks and ocean comes from a number of common residential and commercial activities throughout the City. Storm water (rain) and urban runoff from landscape irrigation, car washing on the street, and parking lot and sidewalk washing, pick up pollutants and carry them into our storm drains, creeks, and ocean.

This type of pollution is commonly referred to as ‘non-point source’ pollution, because the environmental impact is felt from countless small inputs rather than ‘point sources,’ such as outfall pipes from factories. When pollutants such as sediment, pesticides, fertilizer, indicator bacteria (from animal and human waste), trash, oil, and other auto fluids reach the gutters, and then storm drains, they flow directly into our creeks and ocean untreated, posing a threat to water quality.