Home Vehicle Maintenance
At-home vehicle maintenance is a common practice . Many individuals choose to repair or maintain their vehicles at home rather than visit an auto repair service center . While the actual maintenance work of personal vehicles is not a problem , the byproducts that result from this kind of work can add significant amounts of pollutants into the storm sewer system .
These byproducts ( i . e . oil , grease , brake fluid , gasoline , diesel , kerosene , antifreeze , etc ), all contain toxins that are harmful to fish and birds , aquatic vegetation , wildlife and humans . Maintaining and repairing vehicles at home can allow these byproducts to leach into the street and then into the storm sewer system , transporting these pollutants to area waterways .
When repairing or maintaining your vehicle at home , adopt these few simple practices that can reduce the detrimental impacts of pollutants on our local waterways . And remember two simple rules : 1 . Only rainwater may be discharged to the storm sewer system . 2 . Minimize the contact of rainfall & runoff with pollutants . Do this by keeping hazardous materials covered and by managing wastes responsibly .
Your Work Area
Be aware of where you work . Any drips or spills on the ground can be carried away by rainwater to a storm drain and into a nearby waterway . So :
�� NEVER work on a vehicle in the street or near a storm drain .
�� Work on a flat concrete surface where you can easily clean up accidental spills .
�� NEVER hose down your work area unless the resulting wash water is contained and disposed of properly .
�� Keep storage and work areas clean and dry .
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