As a resident, business or other member of the New Jersey community, it is important to know these easy things you can do every day to protect our water.

Limit your use of fertilizers and pesticides

• Do a soil test to see if you need a fertilizer
• Do not apply fertilizers if heavy rain is predicted
• Look into alternatives for pesticides
• Maintain a small lawn and keep the rest of your property or yard in a natural state with trees and other native vegetation that requires little or no fertilizer
• If you use fertilizers and pesticides, follow the instruction on the label on how to correctly apply it.

Properly use and dispose of hazardous products

• Hazardous products include some household or commercial cleaning products, law and garden care products, motor oil, antifreeze, and paints
• Do not pour any hazardous products down a storm drain because storm drains are usually connected to local waterbodies and the water is not treated
• If you have hazardous products in your home or workplace, make sure you store or dispose of them properly.  Read the label for guidance
• Use natural or less toxic alternatives when possible
• Recycle used motor oil
• Contact your municipality, county or facility management office for the locations of hazardous-waste disposal facilities

Keep pollution out of storm drains

• Municipalities and many other agencies are required to mark certain storm drain inlets with messages reminding people that storm drains are connected to local waterbodies
• Do not let sewage or other wastes flow into a stormwater system

Clean up after your pet

• Many municipalities and public agencies must enact and enforce local pet-waste rules
• An example is requiring pet owners or their keepers to pick up and properly dispose of pet waste dropped on public or other people's property
• Make sure you know your town's or agency's requirements and comply with them.  It's the law.
• Use newspaper, bags or pooper-scoopers to pick up wastes
• Dispose of the wrapped pet waste in the trash or unwrapped in a toilet
• Never discard pet waste in a storm drain

Don't feed wildlife

• Do not feed wildlife, such as ducks and geese, in public areas
• Many municipalities and other public agencies must enact and enforce a rule that prohibits wildlife feeding in these areas

Don't litter

• Place litter in trash receptacles
• Recycle, Recycle, Recycle
• Participate in community clean ups

Dispose of yard waste properly

• Keep leaves and grass out of storm drains
• If your municipality or agency has yard waste collection rules, follow them
• Use leaves and grass clippings as a resource for compost
• Use a mulching mower that recycles grass clippings into the lawn