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Car Care for Cleaner Water

We all know that cares cause air pollution. But did you know that cars also cause water pollution? As we drive, our cars and trucks leave bits of tires, brakes and rusty metal on the street. When we park, our cars and trucks leave stains of oil, grease and transmission fluid on driveways and parking lots. Less visible are the tiny exhaust particles that gradually settle out of the air or come down with the rain or snow.

What happens to all this “car dirt” when it rains? Rain and melting snow wash auto pollutants off the pavement, down the gutter, and into stormwater drains. Under these drains are storm sewers – pipes that carry the dirty water to Omaha metro lakes and streams.

Even on sunny days, polluted water often flows out of storm sewers. To understand why, take a walk to a small stream in Omaha. Do you see mounds of foam? Streaks of blue? An oily sheen?

The foam may come from soapy water that runs down the street when we wash cars in our driveways. The bright blue streaks are probably antifreeze drained from radiators. The oily sheen may come from used motor oil dumped down the stormwater drain.

You can help stop this kind of pollution. Explain to your family and friends that storm sewers carry water directly to our lakes and streams in the Omaha metro area. They do not connect to wastewater treatment plants.

(adapted from Car Care for Cleaner Water-University of Wisconsin-Extension publication)