Canines for Clean Water
Don’t Be a Party Pooper – Pick Up the Poo! To Save Our Streams, It’s the Least LO Can Do!
Many pet owners don’t realize that dog waste isn’t just a nuisance — it’s a serious environmental pollutant. When left on the ground, especially in urban or suburban areas, dog waste doesn’t just disappear. It gets washed away by rain and irrigation into storm drains and local waterways, creating a chain of problems for ecosystems, public health, and water quality.
What’s in Dog Waste?
Dog waste contains harmful bacteria and parasites like E. coli, roundworms, Salmonella, and Giardia, as well as nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. Unlike waste from wild animals, which is naturally balanced in the ecosystem, the waste from domesticated dogs can overwhelm local environments due to high concentrations and urban density.
The Impacts of Dog Waste:
When dog waste enters storm drains, it flows untreated into rivers, lakes, and oceans. This can:
- Contaminate water supplies – making lakes, rivers, and streams unsafe for drinking, fishing, and swimming.
- Increase harmful algae blooms – due to excess nutrients, which deplete oxygen in the water and kill fish and other aquatic life.
- Spread disease – both to wildlife and humans through waterborne pathogens.
What Can YOU do to Reduce the Poo? Take the Pledge!
Join the Canines for Clean Water. On behalf of your dog, take the pledge below and you can signal your commitment to clean water with a free bandana and dog tags like the ones Johnny is modeling! You can complete this form to pick up a bandana and dog tag from City Hall.
Pledge:
We, human and dog, pledge to keep our water clean by:
- Always scooping and disposing of pet waste in a garbage bin—never leaving bags beside trails.
- Keeping pets leashed and staying on designated trails in natural areas, unless in a clearly marked off-leash zone.
- Preventing pets from entering streams or disturbing wildlife.
Photo: Bagged dog waste in Ball Creek where we sample for water quality
Free Water Quality Items - Form