Cole Creek.org

Start it.

What can you do to help Cole Creek and other waterways like it? A lot, it turns out.

By starting some basic practices both inside and outside the places where you live and work, you can conserve water AND help prevent pollutants from making their way into your local water system.

Inside

• Wash only full loads of clothes and dishes.
• Install low-flow aerators on your faucets and shower heads.
• Place a bucket in your shower to collect water that can be reused to water your plants and lawn.
• When possible, replace old appliances with newer more efficient models.
• If possible, use a dishwasher instead of washing dishes by hand, and scrape dishes rather than rinsing them before loading them. If you wash your dishes by hand, fill one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water.
• Place a pan in the sink to collect water when rinsing produce, then use it to water house plants.
• Start taking your unwanted household chemicals to Omaha’s Under the Sink (402.444.SINK).

Outside

• Leave grass clippings on the lawn, or compost them.
• Provide natural areas around your living space or business that will filter stormwater into the ground.
• Direct runoff from surfaces that don’t filter water (like concrete) across to thick, vegetated areas.
• Use permeable paving surfaces like wood decks, un-mortared bricks, concrete lattice or loose gravel to allow water to soak into the ground.
• Control erosion and runoff with mulch, groundcover, shrubs or trees, which absorb much more rainwater than a lawn and don’t require fertilizer.
• Use a rain barrel. The collected water can be used later on lawn or garden areas.
• Cover piles of dirt or mulch being used in landscaping projects.
• Use pesticides and fertilizers sparingly. When use is necessary, use these chemicals in the recommended amounts. Use organic mulch or safer pest control methods whenever possible.
• Create a rain garden or grassy swale. These specially designed areas, planted with native plants, provide natural places for rainwater to collect and soak into the ground.
• Sweep up litter and debris from sidewalks, driveways and parking lots, especially around storm drains.
• Cover grease and storage dumpsters, and keep them clean to avoid leaks.
• Start taking your used oil to Omaha’s Under the Sink (402.444.SINK).