Healthy Yard and Environment Tip: June
Scoop the Poop
It might not seem like a big deal, but pet waste can add up to impact our local water quality. Storm drains in Johnson County lead directly to creeks and streams.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, "Animal waste contains two main types of pollutants that harm local waters: nutrients and pathogens. When this waste ends up in water bodies, it decomposes, releasing nutrients that cause excessive growth of algae and weeds. This makes the water murky, green, smelly, and even unusable for swimming, boating, or fishing. The pathogens, disease-causing bacteria and viruses, can also make local waters unswimmable and unfishable, and have caused severe illness in humans."
Bag it
Cleaning up can be as simple as taking a plastic bag along with Fido on your next walk. Simply carry a plastic bag with you on every walk with your dog, and you’ll have the equipment to remove your dog’s waste. Then throw it in the nearest trash can, and you’re done!
- Many parks and recreational areas have courtesy bags and disposal boxes, designed specifically for dog waste.
- Avoid letting your dog do his business within 200 feet of a water body.
- Never throw dog waste into a stormdrain
The EPA says to dispose of the waste in the garbage.
What about compost bins
Extension often gets asked about disposing pet waste in compost piles. Wastes from meat eaters should not be placed in a compost pile because the parasites, bacteria, and viruses are not readily destroyed during the composting process and can be passed on to humans.
Thank you for doing your part to keep our JoCo waters clean.
