Big Bear, CA, March 5th, 2016 – Caltrans unveiled its new stormwater public education and outreach campaign “Protect Every Drop” to educate Californians about the sources and pathways of stormwater pollution, and encourage motorists to reduce the pollutants that affect water quality in California’s streams, rivers, lakes and coastal waters, keeping them drinkable, swimmable and fishable.
Clean water is essential for our quality of life in California, and it’s important to ‘Protect Every Drop’, Every motorist needs to do their part to keep California’s waterways clean.
The campaign will address several actions the public can take, including:
· Performing routine vehicle and tire maintenance, which reduces pollution from vehicles.
· Properly disposing of trash and recycling.
· Covering truck loads that may fall or blow off during travel.
The “Protect Every Drop” campaign builds on the past successful “Don’t Trash California” public awareness campaign, broadening the focus beyond litter and trash to address other stormwater pollutants such as sediment, metals from tire and brake wear, fluid leaks and contents from unsecured vehicle loads.
The campaign will also address other pollutants found in highway stormwater that may originate from non-highway sources such as pesticides and bacteria from natural sources.
“Stormwater testing shows that virtually all our lakes, rivers, bays and ocean waters get polluted after it rains, all across California,” said State Water Board Member Steven Moore. “Some of those most impacted waters are those around our bigger cities. The pollutants that can be carried in stormwater impair the beneficial uses of our waters that belong to all Californians. We can all contribute to helping keep every drop of water in our rivers, lakes and ocean clean.”
