In the past, the New River was very polluted, but City and County actions have been taken to help clean it up. More help is needed, and everyone can help prevent pollution by taking steps to keep the New River and other bodies of water clean. Volunteers have helped to mark storm drain inlets in local neighborhoods. They got involved because they care.

How Can You Help? You can help by taking a few steps of your own:

• Properly dispose of waste such as motor oil. Don’t put it down the storm drain. For information call the City's Sanitation Division at 910 938-5338.
• Use fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides sparingly and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Do not apply before an expected rain event.
• Keep yard waste, trash and dirt off the street and out of the gutters. Don’t let it wash into the streams where it will clog the flow. This can lead to flooding!
• Clean up after your pets. Don’t let runoff from pet waste get into the streams.
• Wash your car at a car wash, or at least wash it on the grass. Don’t wash it on the driveway where the wash water runs into the street.
• Spread the word about pollution and what you can do to stop it.

Want more information, or want to get involved? 'I Can Make a Difference' resources are available online. You may also call Habitat Protection at 910 938-5273.

The City wants your help to spread the message that there is no treatment system connected to storm drains, flow goes directly into the waterway. They may go to a stream nearby that you enjoy, or right into the New River. Sometimes people think the storm drain can be used like a drain inside their home and they dump things down there they should not. Whatever is put there, drains into the New River.

Every time it rains, water washes over our streets, driveways, and yards picking up pollutants along the way. Motor oil from cars, yard clippings, pet waste, litter, lawn chemicals including fertilizer are among some of the pollutants that get picked up. All of this eventually washes into our storm drains. All that eventually washes from the storm drains into the New River.

The storm drain inlets in your neighborhood have been marked with a special marker to remind everyone that what goes down that inlet eventually ends up in the New River.