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Pet Waste:  Flush It, Bury It, or Put It In The Trash

Spring has arrived! The signs of spring include the smell of fresh cut grass, fragrant flowers, birds singing, flowers blooming, green grass, trees budding and pet waste on the sidewalks and trails. Wait a minute! Pet waste isn’t a sign of spring or at least it shouldn’t be.

Improper disposal of pet waste can be a serious pollutant for Omaha streams and lakes. Pet waste can be washed into the lakes and streams from the trails or land surrounding the lakes and streams or into storm sewers and ultimately into the Omaha metro lakes and streams. Pet waste can carry diseases that make the water unsafe for recreation purposes and it also can encourage weed and algae growth.

When pet waste is disposed of improperly, not only water quality suffers- your health may be at risk, too. Children who play outside, and adults who garden are most at risk for infection from some of the bacteria and parasites found in pet waste.

The first step is to pick up your pet’s waste. Next comes deciding how to properly dispose of your pet’s waste. No solution is perfect, but here are the choices:

1. Flush it down the toilet. The water from your toilet goes to a septic system or sewage treatment plant that removes most pollutants before the water reaches a lake or stream. To prevent plumbing problems, don’t try to flush debris such as rocks, sticks or cat litter.
2. Bury it in the yard. Dig a hole or trench that is about 5 inches deep, away from the vegetable garden, any lake, stream, ditch or well. Don’t add pet waste to your compost pile. The pile won’t get hot enough to kill the bacteria or germs in the pet waste.
3. Put it in the trash. Omaha residents have the option of double bagging the waste in small, grocery bags and putting it in their trash cans. Residents outside the Omaha City Limits should check with their local authorities regarding proper disposal of pet waste

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