Water Quality
Are
You Killing Your Fish?
 |
Do You Know What This Is? 
This
is called a 'storm drain' or 'catchbasin'. There are many
of these drains located throughout your neighbourhood.
Their purpose is to collect rain and melted snow that drain
off exposed surfaces such as roads, parking lots and driveways. |
Do
You Know Where It Leads To?
Many of
these basins empty into underground storm sewer systems. Their
contents are quickly discharged into nearby streams, which
are important habitat for trout, salmon and other fish. Unlike
domestic wastes collected by sanitary sewers, the contents
of many storm sewers are not treated at sewage plants prior
to their discharge into a stream.
 |
Are
You Polluting a Stream?
Many
people don't realize that household hazardous products
that they wash or dump into these drains go right into
their neighbourhood streams. Oils, detergents, paint
compounds and solvent, pesticides and many other common
household products often end up in streams via the storm
sewers. Most of these contain chemicals that are toxic
to fish, and many small discharges from hundreds of households
can poison many miles of neighbourhood streams. |
These Common Household Products are Hazardous to Fish:
1. AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCTS
- motor oil
- antifreeze
- brake fluid
- carburetor cleaner
- gasoline
- gasoline additives
- transmission fluid
- degreasers
- sealers
2. PAINTS AND SOLVENTS
- paints
- shellacs
- lacquers
- varnishes
- enamels
- paint thinners
- paint and varnish strippers
- rustproof coatings
3. RECREATIONAL PRODUCTS
- swimming pool contents (chlorine)
- outboard motor products (oil, gas, etc.)
4. PESTICIDES
- disinfectants (bathroom, kitchen, etc.)
- insecticides (garden products, flea collars, etc.)
- fungicides (mold and mildew control)
- rodenticides (rat and mouse bait)
- molluscicides (slug bait)
- wood preservatives (creosote, pentachlorophenol)
5. CLEANING PRODUCTS
- detergents
- drain and toilet cleaners
- rug and upholstery cleaners
- leather preservers
- dry cleaning agents
- car wash detergent
- polishing agents (shoe products)
What
Can You Do?
Please
don't dump household hazardous products into storm drains.
Some products, such as used motor oil are collected for recycling.
The paint industry has established paint collection depots
in your community to collect unwanted paints, stains and varnishes.
Other products (such as solvents and chemical pesticides) must
undergo special processing to render them harmless. See the Product Stewardship website for more information on recycling.
Can You Do More To Protect a Neighbourhood Stream?

Fisheries and Oceans Canada runs a Storm Drain Marking Program. Storm Drains can have yellow fish painted beside them to remind us that storm drains on our roadways empty directly into local streams. We need to keep harmful things out of the the storm drains. Contact Fisheries and Oceans Canada for more information.