ILLICIT DISCHARGE 2020 Guidance Yakima County Public Services Water Resources 128 N. 2nd St. Fourth Floor Courthouse Yakima, WA 98901 PLACE STAMP HERE Examples of Illicit Discharges ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ 6) When walking your pet use a bag or use a scooper to clean up after your pet. Animal waste contaminates our community and our water ways. To properly dispose of your animal waste pick it up with a bag and dispose of it in a waste basket, or ϐlush it down a toilet. Is It Illegal To Cause An Illicit Discharge? YES Chapter 12.10 Stormwater Authority  12.10.200 Prohibition of Illicit Discharge — (1) No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged into county stormwater facilities or a public UIC any material, including but not limited to pollutants or waters containing any pollutants other than stormwater. Reporting Illicit Discharges! To report a suspected illicit discharge in the Cities of Selah, Sunnyside, Union Gap, or the County, call (509) 574-2300; or email [email protected] 4) Keep your grass clippings out of the street. When you are done mowing your law, ensure to sweep up any residual clippings left in the street. This will prevent them from being washed down the stormwater drains during rainstorms. Grass clippings increase the amount of algae within our waterways; which can severely harm our wildlife. 5) Many household products, including paints, paint thinners, and solvents can be taken to the County Household and Small Business Waste Collection Facility located at 7151 Roza Hill Dr, Yakima, WA 98901. Lower Valley residents can utilize the drop-off stations located at Landϐill Transfer Stations or the Cheyne Landϐill. For more information contact this division at (509) 574-2472. How Can I Help? Here is a list of things you can do to help eliminate stormwater pollution from occurring and prevent illicit discharges. 1) Clean up any oil and antifreeze spills immediately. Kitty litter or sawdust are great absorbents and will help make the clean up processes easier. Be sure to sweep up the absorbents after they have performed their job. 2) Wash your car on the grass, so that the water, detergent, and dirt will be ϐiltered by the soil. Your best option is to take it to a commercial car wash, where the dirty water is disposed of more efϐiciently and environmental friendly. 3) Empty bottles of household cleaners, pesticides, and weed killers may have different requirements for disposal; be sure to read the directions on the label for proper disposal procedures. What’s An Illicit Discharge? Illicit Discharge is any discharge of pollutants or non-storm water materials into our stormwater systems from overland ϐlows or direct dumping of materials. Give Me An Example!  An example of an illicit discharge would be sand or dirt from a construction site washing into a street stormwater drain. We call this Trackout.  Another example would be the dumping of toxic chemicals into stormwater drains, or spills of chemicals, oil, or fuel that get picked up by rainfall and travels into our stormwater system. Additional Examples:  Car Wash Wastewater  Gas and Motor Oils  Kitchen Grease / Oils  Household Cleansers  Paints  Pesticides  Solvents  Vehicle Spills  Weed Killers Sometimes these pollutants are carried through the stormwater drainage systems by rain, wind, or improper disposal processes. All of which can result in serious health and water quality problems. In addition, wildlife and the overall appearance of the river are adversely affected by illicit discharges. Contact Us Yakima County Public Services Attention: Water Resources 128 N. 2nd St. Fourth Floor Courthouse Yakima, WA 98901 Phone: (509) 574-2300 Fax: (509) 574-2301 Web: http://www.yakimacounty.us/ Everyone and Everything Depends on Clean Water Did you know that discharging your Pool Water into a stormwater drain is an Illicit Discharge and is Illegal?