Guest Author - Alegra Bartzat

SO, where does all the sewage go? When we flush our toilets, when we wash our faces, when we shower, when we run a dishwasher, when we fill the bathtub, when we use the sink, it all goes out of our home or work and into the sewer system. Then the sewage system runs beneath us in pipes, drains, and underground canals. It goes all around he city, ending up at the nearest wastewater treatment plant. At the treatment plant, the sewage is treated and processed through a series of pools, sometimes using natural methods like cleansing plants, but unfortunately usually using chemicals and water washes. When it leaves the plant it is considered grey water and is either used directly for irrigations purposes or sent out into the ocean or a nearby lake to eventually make its way back through the water cycle.

But what about the drains on the streets? Do those go to our sewage treatment plants, too? The answer is a resounding NO. The drains that are usually painted with a little duck or dolphin or fish and labeled "drains to ocean" or "drains to river" or "drains to lake" really do drain straight into our water supply.

Garbage that people throw on the street, and even worse - the chemicals that people ay dispose of by dumping into these drains, will go into the water supply and can harm and kill wildlife, like the fish, ducks, dolphins shown on the signs.

This also causes concern for swimming, water skiers, and surfers after it rains. All the oil and gasoline on the road, as well as garbage that does not get picked out, goes into our water supply, making the water unsafe for humans for days, up to a weeks, after it rains.

And to make matters even worse, it can mean harm to humans once again if they eat animals have been exposed to the toxic stew that gets flushed into their homes after a rain. Water often gets dumped into wetland areas and can stay in a concentrated state in just the place people will go to fish. Eating animals that have been living in polluted water means eating pollution.

The system that shuttles the water form the streets is generally completely separate from the water that leaves or homes and offices. The run off can reach 10 billion gallons per day after a big storm in many cities, and it is all channeled directly into our waterways. Departments of sanitation or other government entities are responsible for cleaning large trash items out of this system to prevent clogs that could cause flooding and back up, but beyond that there isn't much it can do.

What can you do? Join a local watershed protection group or ocean protection group, like Baykeepers or Surfrider, and join in the stenciling. Many community citizens simply are unaware of the reality of the drains, and if informed would make a different choice than dumping toxins into these drains. Also getting involved in civic discussion of water policy and environmental protection will help make a voice to keep our water supply clean.