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Category: Water Quality

It’s that “tide” of year again for the annual California Coastal Cleanup Day! Going on 38 years, the San Mateo County Environmental Health Services hosts a countywide Coastal Cleanup Day dedicated to local creek, park, neighborhood, and beach cleanups. If it’s an outside shared space, it counts! It all counts because it’s all connected. 

Explore the Connection

Even the smallest piece of trash can make a BIG impact. Stormwater picks up trash and other pollutants and carries them into storm drains. From there, the polluted stormwater travels to local streams and creeks. Wildlife may mistake all kinds of debris for food, which harms local biodiversity. If not eaten by wildlife, trash continues to travel into our oceans where it may break down over time into tiny particles called microplastics. Microplastics are ingested by marine life, which also threatens human health when we consume seafood that has eaten microplastics. Keeping our waterways clean through pollution prevention measures such as community cleanups is crucial to a healthy and safe San Mateo County. 

The Impact

We aren’t joking about the impact you can have! Just last year, 2,700 volunteers came together to pick up 22,000 pounds of trash and recyclables, keeping them out of our waterways. Small measures like dedicating a day to an organized cleanup can make a huge impact. 

How to Get Involved 

Participating in a local cleanup is as easy as clicking this link and registering for the nearest volunteer site! Official cleanup events will be held from 9am to noon on Saturday, September 17. 

If you can’t make it to an organized cleanup event, no worries! You can pick up trash on your own any time in the month of September and it will count towards our countywide goals. Here’s how to hold a self-guided cleanup: 

  • Register your self-guided cleanup using this form. That way, the County can make sure you have all the information you need and can send you a small thank you gift for volunteering!
  • Download the Swell App to track your impact. 
  • Safety first. Follow San Mateo County’s latest safety protocols. Also, bring gloves, plenty of water, and never pick up sharp objects.  
  • Enter a giveaway! Snap a cleanup selfie and use the hashtag #thesmccoastisclear on Facebook or Instagram to be entered to win a $25 digital Visa Gift Card. Ten winners will be selected. 

Like a Wave, Stay Current 

When you’re surfing the net, make sure to see what all the commocean is about! Social media accounts and additional resources for Coastal Cleanup Day can be found below:

We hope to sea you out there soon! 

Every year we welcome the season with spring cleaning, and every April 22nd we honor our planet by celebrating Earth Day. This year we figured we’d help you merge these two traditions! 

Earth Day begins at home, and while you prepare for spring by cleaning your home and getting rid of what you don’t need, it’s important to make sure that spring cleaning doesn’t result in pollution or waste. We’ve compiled a list of helpful tips to make your Earth Day celebration just a little smoother.

Less-toxic Cleaning Products

Common store-bought cleaning products may contain chemicals that can negatively impact water quality if introduced into waterways or cause irritation if exposed to eyes or skin. While you do a deep clean of your home, here are some less toxic alternatives you can use:

  • Lemon juice: cuts grease and grime.
  • Baking soda: removes stains and grime.
  • White vinegar: cuts grease and grime. 
  • Hydrogen peroxide 3% solution: removes stains and acts as a disinfectant. 
  • Liquid soap that is free of triclosan and sodium lauryl. Castile soap is a good option. 

Check out this San Mateo County Health site for DIY cleaning product recipes. 

Low-Waste Decluttering Tips

While your ultimate goal may be to begin spring with a decluttered home, you can do so while creating the least amount of waste possible. Follow these tips to cut down on waste:

  1. Donate and keep items out of the landfill! Create piles for things that can be donated such as pantry staples, old clothes, or entertainment items. These items could find a new home and stay out of the landfill. Visit recyclestuff.org to find a list of donation locations for different household items.
  2. Reduce, reuse, and repurpose. While identifying things you don’t need anymore, you can also make a note of things that might serve a new purpose. Have old jars sitting around? Repurpose them into storage for pantry staples. Have worn out t-shirts in your closet? Use them as rags for cleaning up spills. 
  3. Sort your waste. Make sure you know what belongs in the trash, recycling, compost, and donation so that everything is disposed of in the most environmentally friendly way. If you’re not sure, visit your waste hauler’s website for more information.
  4. Make sure to check labels. Checking labels before tossing anything into any bin will help keep toxic products out of our waterways. Not everything can be thrown away in your residential waste bins. Read on to learn which items may require special disposal.

What Should I Do With My Household Hazard Waste?

Remember that items such as paint, cleaning products, car fluids, and batteries are considered household hazardous waste (HHW) and cannot be disposed of in the trash. HHW is waste from your home that is toxic, corrosive, flammable, or reactive and must be disposed of at an HHW center. For a full list of these items, check out our HHW page. 

If these items are improperly disposed of they can contaminate our waterways and drinking water, harm wildlife, and put sanitation workers at risk. Make sure to do your part by making an appointment to bring in your household hazardous waste to an HHW facility. 

As we begin spring cleaning and celebrate Earth Day let’s be sure to be mindful of our environment. By following these tips, you can help reduce waste and protect our  waterways. Happy spring cleaning and happy Earth Day!

Do you have your own Earth Day tips? Share them with us using the form below!

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From left to right: prior SSF Mayor – Karol Matsumoto, SSF City Manager – Mike Futrell, SSF Vice Mayor – Beunaflor Nicolas, Caltrans District 4 Chief Deputy District Director – Dave Ambuehl, SSF Mayor – Mark Nogales, Assemblymember – Kevin Mullin, C/CAG Chair – Davina Hurt, Councilmember – Mark Addiego, San Mateo County Supervisor – Dave Pine, SSF Councilmember – James Coleman.

An exciting new stormwater project was recently completed in May 2022! The Orange Memorial Park Regional Stormwater Capture Project is designed to capture, treat, and filter stormwater to remove contaminants. The water will then be used to irrigate the park and recharge the groundwater aquifer. 

200 Million Gallons of Water

Image from the Orange Memorial Park Educational Placard

Rain falling east of the Santa Cruz Mountain range drains into the San Francisco Bay. Also called stormwater runoff, this rain may carry trash and other pollutants with it as it flows to the San Francisco Bay. One of the waterways that carries this runoff is Colma Creek, which drains over 6,500 acres of land in Colma, Daly City, Pacifica, South San Francisco, and San Bruno. A portion of the Colma Creek runs through Orange Memorial Park where the newly completed regional stormwater capture project will be able to capture, treat, and reuse 200 million gallons of water each year!

Schematic of water flow and cleaning processes in and around Orange Memorial Park courtesy of the City of South San Francisco.  

What Are The Benefits of the Orange Memorial Park Project?

This project, the first-of-its-kind in Northern California, will divert and capture stormwater from the Colma Creek Watershed.

Some of the benefits of this project include:

  • Cleaning and saving water for non-potable use: Water from Colma Creek will be diverted and treated to remove trash, sediment, and pollutants such as mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). It will then be stored in a cistern underneath the park for further disinfection and used for irrigation and other non-potable water use. This will save over 15 million gallons of potable water each year, all while reducing local flood risk.
  • Recharging groundwater: Once the cistern is full, additional water will be infiltrated into the Westside Groundwater Basin, recharging 55 million gallons of groundwater each year. Groundwater recharge is an important water management practice in California because groundwater has been overused in recent decades, leading to dry wells, sinking land, and saltwater intrusion from the ocean.
  • Protecting the environment: When the underground water storage system is full, 130 million gallons of cleaned water will be returned to Colma Creek, improving the water quality in the creek and Bay. This will prevent pollutants such as mercury and PCBs—which are harmful to humans and wildlife—from polluting the San Francisco Bay.
  • Renovating the athletics field: In Phase 2 of this project, the Orange Memorial Park athletics field will be renovated, something the community has long been advocating for. This will enhance recreational opportunities for the local community, providing a space for baseball, softball, and soccer.

Now that the project is completed, what’s next?

Construction on this stormwater capture project began in early 2021 and was completed May 2022, with the official ribbon cutting happening on June 10, 2022. The project was led and constructed by the City of South San Francisco, with funding provided by Caltrans. Details on the project can be found here.

In 2023, Phase 2 of this project will begin. In line with the City’s Capital Improvement Program, the sports field above the water treatment facility will be rebuilt with improvements. More information on Phase 2 can be found here. 

Orange Memorial Park Conceptual Design 2021 
Please note: This will be updated as designs become more finalized

In 1999, surfers in San Mateo County saw their beloved beaches threatened by environmental pollution and degradation. They took action and came together to form a local chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, Surfrider San Mateo County (Surfrider SMC), which engages the community in protecting our oceans and advocates for solutions. 

Now, 22 years later, the organization includes “local surfers, paddle boarders, kayakers,  marine biologists tide-poolers, and basically people who love the ocean,” says Britt Bensen, Vice Chair of Surfrider SMC. The organization is one of more than 80 Surfrider Foundation chapters across the country, which form a network of over 1 million supporters and volunteers. 

“Surfrider SMC is an all-volunteer group committed to protecting the more than 50 miles of San Mateo County  coastline in between San Francisco and Santa Cruz counties.”

— Britt Bensen

Surfrider SMC protects our oceans in many ways: through youth education, monitoring water pollution, partnering with local businesses to reduce single-use plastics, and engaging the public in beach cleanups. Through their organized beach cleanups, they have kept thousands of pounds of trash out of the ocean. 

Protecting the ocean isn’t just about the environment—it’s also about people. Surfrider SMC sees access to safe and clean beaches as an equity issue. “We have learned the incredible value of open, outdoor space with COVID and the unfortunate wildfires and the corresponding smoke over recent years,” says Bensen. “We hope our efforts have made our coastline accessible to all.”  

Blue Water Task Force

Just one of Surfrider SMC’s many programs is the Blue Water Task Force. They measure bacteria levels at beaches and in coastal creeks, then compare them to federal water quality standards. This allows them to alert the public of any health risks and to raise awareness about water pollution issues.  

“We currently test 6 sites along the Pacific Ocean every week and publish results on our social media accounts,” says Bensen.

If you are interested in getting involved the Blue Task Force, attend the next Surfrider SMC chapter meeting or social.

Coastal Cleanup Day and How to Help

One way that you can get involved and help Surfrider SMC keep pollution out of our waterways and ocean is to get involved in Coastal Cleanup Day. On Saturday, September 18 from 9:00 a.m. to noon this year, you can join a global community of people helping to keep trash out of the ocean.

Here in San Mateo County, there are over 50 cleanup events to join. Surfrider SMC is holding a beach cleanup for Coastal Cleanup Day at Poplar Beach from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. on September 18.

For more information and any updates, please visit Surfrider San Mateo’s website. 

Other Ways to Get Involved

“As we’re all volunteers, we’re 100% dependent on neighbors all over San Mateo County dedicating whatever time they have to our programs and campaigns.”

— Britt Bensen

Apart from Coastal Cleanup Day, there are many ways to get involved with Surfrider SMC throughout the year. 

  • Beach Cleanups: Visit Surfrider SMC’s event calendar to find additional beach cleanups to join throughout the year. 
  • Take On a Volunteer Role: If you want to get more involved, you can take on a leadership or support position in event planning, communications, volunteer recruitment, and more. Contact chair@smc.surfrider.org if you’re interested!
  • Follow: You can stay up to date with Surfrider SMC by following them on Facebook or Instagram  @surfridersanmateo. You can also email communications@smc.surfrider.org to be added to their newsletter mailing list.
  • Listen: Listen to Surfrider California’s podcast “Protect & Enjoy” on your preferred podcast platform. 

Summer is here, meaning that families, friends, and individuals across San Mateo County will be heading to the beach! The anticipated ramping up of summer fun at the beach also coincides with the release of the non-profit Heal the Bay’s annual Beach Report Card for 2021. 

Every summer, the Beach Report Card gives beaches across California a grade from A to F based on beach water quality data collected by health agencies and sanitation departments. A poor grade means that water quality monitoring at that beach over the course of the year has shown high levels of fecal indicator bacteria which can be a sign that water is unsafe to swim, fish, and play in. Exposure to bacterial pollution can cause ear infections, skin rashes, stomach flu, and other illnesses.

How did San Mateo County beaches do?

This year three beaches in San Mateo County got an F grade and were put on the Beach Bummers List of the top 10 most polluted beaches in the state, though it’s worth noting not all beaches that have been reported on in previous years were monitored and reported on this year. 

All three low-scoring beaches in San Mateo County are enclosed beaches, meaning that there’s a land mass or jetty blocking the beach from the open water. They typically have calm waters, making them attractive to families and children. Unfortunately, this also means that they are more susceptible to water pollution due to a lack of water circulation. 

It’s important to keep streets clean because pollution transported by stormwater runoff into storm drains eventually reaches beaches and the Bay. 

Where does the pollution come from?

At enclosed beaches, like the ones that made the Beach Bummers List, pollution likely comes from litter and animal waste left directly on the beach as well as polluted runoff that reaches the beach from surrounding developed areas. Understanding the exact source of bacteria can be difficult, however. Leaking sewer lines, and feces from wildlife, including birds and small mammals, are a few additional potential sources of bacteria in stormwater runoff draining to recreational waterways.

What are we doing to try to keep our beaches off the Beach Bummers List for next year?  

  • Water Quality Monitoring: The San Mateo Countywide Water Pollution Prevention Program (that’s us) closely monitors urban creeks in the county to ensure that water pollution remains below permitted levels and to address pollution if it gets too high. This is important for protecting our beaches because creeks eventually feed into the Bay and ocean. We report our findings in annual Urban Creek Monitoring Reports. 
  • Green Infrastructure: We support countywide stormwater planning efforts, most recently including the Countywide Sustainable Streets Master Plan, and have funded green stormwater infrastructure projects around the county to manage stormwater more sustainably, reduce pollution and provide additional community benefits, such as bike and pedestrian safety, reducing urban heat island impacts and more. Check out our Green Infrastructure Story Map to learn about green infrastructure projects near you. 
  • Public Education: We also do outreach to people like you and your neighbors to help you adopt water-friendly practices! For instance, we educate people about the importance of picking up litter and throwing away pet waste so that our beaches remain clean and safe. 

The Donnelly Avenue Green Street and Parking Lot in Burlingame is an example of one of San Mateo County’s green infrastructure projects. 

How you can help!

There is also a lot you can do as a San Mateo County resident to help protect our beaches! Even if you’re not going to the beach often, there are things you can do every day to help protect our beaches, since pollution in your neighborhood may end up in the ocean eventually. 

Here are some steps you can take:

  • Pick up after your pet.
  • Throw away all your trash in the proper disposal container. 
  • Reduce pesticide and fertilizer use in your yard.
  • Take your car to the car wash instead of washing it at home. 
  • Maintain your vehicle so it doesn’t leak auto fluids onto the streets.
  • Volunteer with local organizations such as the Pacific Beach Coalition or Surfrider to do beach cleanups.

Remember that clean water and a healthy community is a team effort! Contact us below with any thoughts or questions.

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Whether it’s the seafood we eat, the oxygen we breathe, or the joy we find in spending a day at the beach, everyone depends on the ocean in one way or another. However, the ocean needs our help. Our reefs are struggling, fish populations are declining, and most pertinently: plastic pollution is pervasive.

Shell Cleave, founder of Sea Hugger, saw these issues firsthand and noted, “someone had to do something.” 

Driven by deep rooted care and concern for the health of our waters, Shell got to work and created Sea Hugger in 2018 with the mission “to reduce our dependence on single-use plastic and to prevent marine plastic pollution,” says Shell. Since its beginnings, Sea Hugger has developed into an innovative nonprofit that places its efforts far beyond band aid-like solutions. Sea Hugger is reducing the amount of plastic in our ocean, empowering communities to engage in marine-conscious practices, inspiring future generations, and ultimately ensuring the health of our waters for years to come through action and education. 

Sea Hugger actively reduces plastic in our ocean by sponsoring local community beach clean ups and encouraging people to clean up wherever they are. The nonprofit also has a “Roomba for the ocean” known as the Seabin, which is an aquatic robot in Half Moon Bay that utilizes self-sufficient mechanics to capture plastic, microplastic, and marine oil. In a mere three months (January – March 2021), the Seabin collected 17 plastic pellets, 492 pieces of plastic, 699 polystyrene pieces, and 74 cigarette butts! 

Shown in photo:  The Seabin draws water into the bin, capturing microplastic, macroplastic, and marine oil in its fine mesh bag. It captures up to eight pounds of material at a time, and is emptied regularly.

Through their work, Sea Hugger has effectively achieved:

(2019-2020 Data)

However, Sea Hugger goes above and beyond plastic pollution cleanup. They acknowledge the need to address the root of our plastic pollution problem and drive systemic change. The organization thus works to prevent ocean pollution before it even gets into our waters by helping people “break their reliance on plastic by creating awareness and promoting alternatives, upcycling ideas, and reuse tips.” One can find wonderful plastic-free products right on their website, making it easy and appealing to make the switch to zero waste alternatives. Sea Hugger also works to mitigate our plastic usage on a larger scale by promoting bills such as the Plastic Free Bill and mobilizing the effort to bring back reusables to grocery stores. 

Furthermore, Sea Hugger not only advocates for the wellbeing of ocean life, but also helps our communities on land. 

“In response to COVID, we started an outdoor education camp to help families who were struggling with school closures and distance learning. It has been so successful that we are continuing it for Summer and after-school next year.”

-Shell Cleave

These outdoor education programs help instill longstanding care for our ocean, while providing the youth with a fun and engaging experience away from screens. Through these programs, Sea Hugger is helping students cultivate ocean-conscious habits to carry with them and pass along to friends, family, and future generations. As Shell noted: “We often have parents who tell us their kids have helped them swap out their throw-away items for reusable items, reminded them to skip things they don’t need like lids and straws, and have become anti-litter bugs! This is music to our ears!”

How Can I Get On Board with Sea Hugger?

  • Try out a DIY Beach Clean Up
  • Shop the online store for products that minimize your footprint
  • Volunteer  (Locations: Oahu, Half Moon Bay, and Imperial Beach)
  • Follow on Instagram or Facebook for updates on conservation events, simple tips, and friendly reminders to get outside!
  • Sign up for the newsletter for ideas on how to decrease your footprint and for more information on how to get involved

Summer is upon us and there are many outdoor activities that we plan on doing while following social distancing guidelines and wearing a mask to protect others. Banana slugs are out and about at the Purisima Creek Redwoods, and tidepools are teeming with life at Bean Hollow State Beach.

But despite the many beautiful spots around the county, there are a few locations that aren’t so hot, from a water quality perspective.
Heal the Bay has released its 2020 Beach Report Card. Unfortunately, six beaches on their top 10 Beach Bummers list happen to be in our beautiful County. Our number of “beach bummers”  has tripled from last year’s report where we  had just 2 beaches listed as beach bummers

The Results

Based on  water quality data collected each year at outfalls, creek mouths and in the nearshore area along the ocean and bays, beaches along the coast of California are given a grade from A through F. These grades are based on water quality information provided by County health agencies. Every year Heal the Bay takes this data and presents California’s ten poorest scoring beaches, which is where San Mateo County comes in. 

Ranking at the number one spot is Fitzgerald Marine Reserve at San Vicente Creek, followed by Pillar Point Harbor at Capistrano Avenue (#3), Foster City Eickenbrack Park (#4), Pillar Point Harbor Beach (#6), Linda Mar Beach at San Pedro Creek (#7), and lastly Pillar Point Harbor at Westpoint Avenue (10). 

Photo credit: Heal The Bay 2019-2020 Beach Report Card, page 16

What it Means

This report categorizes beaches into one of three types: “Open beaches.” “Stormdrain impacted.” or “Enclosed,” with different pollution implications depending on the potential pathways for pollutants to get into the receiving water. Beaches that are storm drain impacted can be polluted from bacteria flowing in from storm drains, streams, or rivers. This is important because it means that these beaches aren’t polluted solely by the trash that beach-goers leave behind. It indicates that beach pollution can come from far inland, transported to the beach by streams and storm drains. 

Common pollutants carried by storm drains:

  • Litter
  • Animal/pet/human waste and bacteria
  • Pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers
  • Automotive fluids

Three of the county’s six beaches to show up on the Beach Bummers list are located within Pillar Point Harbor, in Half Moon Bay. This enclosed area has poor water circulation which has led to an accumulation of enterococcus—bacteria that typically indicates fecal contamination. This can come from leaking or overflowing sanitary sewers, wildlife, and pet waste.

How we can Improve

There are many ways we can contribute to pollution and not even realize it so it’s important to identify which actions you take in your life that might have a negative effect on our waters. 

Flows to Bay offers many resources for residents to learn the best ways they can help keep our waterways clean. Here are some of our favorite tips:

picking up after your pet

You can also become involved with local community organizations that focus on improving the quality of our local waterways such as the Pacific Beach Coalition or Surfrider.

What changes will you make to ensure our beaches are cleaner in time for next year’s report? Write us with your comments and thoughts via our contact form found here.

Not all learning has to be done in a classroom and we can always learn new things at any age in our life! This is why we’ve curated a list of educational online resources for learners of all ages. In true Flows to Bay fashion, these resources involve the many various topics under the umbrella of stormwater pollution prevention. Check it out below and contact us if there’s any that we’ve left out of the list!

All about Water: Waterways, Water Systems, and Water Resources

Aquatic Life and Ecosystems

seal with its head above the ocean water

Watersheds

Connecting Runoff and Pollution

aerial photo of a city with many houses, streets, and water around it

Effects of Litter and Preventing it from Entering our Waterways

Lawn & Garden / Pest Management

Ladybug on green leaf defocused background
  • Grassroots Ecology has a lesson called “Bugs in Our Ecosystems,” which helps students learn about the critical roles of bugs in our local ecosystems by playing different fact-matching games and searching for their own bug close to home.
  • Our Water Our World has an “Ask Our Expert” resource that connects you with an expert from the Bio-Integral Resource Center, which specializes in the development and communication of least-toxic, sustainable, and environmentally sound IPM methods.
  • Pest or Pal? Activity Book has various activities including a crossword puzzle, word scramble, fun facts, bug jokes, and more that involve the topic of helpful and harmful bugs. 
  • The Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program has a helpful and easy to follow chart for you to learn what natural enemy to introduce to help specific pest problems. 

Proper Disposal of Household Hazardous Waste

  • Hazardous Waste Sudoku helps with understanding what is considered hazardous waste by completing a sudoku with a correlated symbol. 
  • Oil Recycling Center Maze engages students in an interactive way to learn that used motor oil needs to go to a recycling center.

Do you want to share an educational resource about stormwater pollution prevention? Contact us here!

Living in San Mateo County you might hear the phrase “king tide” mentioned, but do you know what it actually means? A topic of curiosity by beach-goers and scientists alike, king tides are interesting marine phenomena, opportunities for exploration, and time-machines all wrapped up in one 6-hour event. 

What is a King Tide?

King tides are exceptionally high tides that occur a few times each year. They happen when the moon is both as close as it can get to earth and in line with the sun (refer to the illustration below). On those special days, when the gravity of the moon and sun act on the earth in a single direction, we see the ocean rise to its highest highs and lowest lows. 

Why do they matter? 

What comes in, must go out! While king tides are mostly known for their capacity to flood our coastal communities and mimic future climate change and sea-level rise problems, their corresponding low tides are a great time to explore tide pools. During the last king tide on January 10-12, residents of San Mateo County flocked to the coast. Hopefully, they all had good tidepool etiquette and carefully kept the exposed animals and ecosystem safe. 

But the value of king tides doesn’t stop there!  As the Exploratorium’s Lori Lambertson points out, “Today’s king tides are tomorrow’s regular high tides.” King tides help us visualize what the coastline may look like in the future of global climate change. As greenhouse gas emissions warm our planet and climate systems become destabilized, we’re on course to face potentially dramatically higher sea levels and more frequent storm surges. King tides help us see how our communities will be affected by these rising seas and more frequent storms. 

In light of the window that king tides give us into a future with higher seas, the California Coastal Commission has created a project to help document how these changes may impact different parts of the coast. 

If you have photos from the last king tide or take any during the one on February 8-9, you can submit them to the California King Tides Project and they’ll be added to the map below. With the help of residents like you, we can gather valuable information that will help us prepare our communities for the future.   The County of San Mateo’s Office of Sustainability is also doing a lot of work to better understand the future of sea-level rise in our area and what local municipalities can do to plan for a future of change. Click here to learn more about these local climate change efforts.

Do you have questions about what Flows To Bay is doing to adapt to the precipitation related impacts of climate change in San Mateo County? We’re here for you! Contact us here.

The start of the rainy season often elicits a strange mix of emotions. On one hand, it brings us a sense of relief and revitalization at the end of the fire season. On the other hand, it’s accompanied by heightened concerns over localized flooding and episodes of water pollution. Though not always obvious to the common observer, all throughout the dry season, trash, motor oil, other vehicle fluids, fertilizers, industrial chemicals, particulates, pet waste and more have accumulated in our streets and neighborhoods. When the rains arrive these pollutants have an enthusiastic vehicle for their transport and deposition in our Bay and ocean.

Most streets are engineered with curve or “crown” to prevent flooding by helping water flow towards gutters and storm drains. Unfortunately, this clever engineering solution designed to prevent flooding also makes it easier for pollution to get to the Bay and ocean. Streets, sidewalks, parking lots and other impervious surfaces not only convey water quickly when it rains, but also become conduits for pollutants. While there are small and easy things we can do to address many of the pollutants that impact our environment and health, one, in particular, stands out among the others in terms of the level of impact it has in our waterways. Fortunately, it’s also one of the easiest to take action on. 

Can you guess the culprit? We’re talking about trash and debris. Plastic food packaging and other single-use plastics are especially pernicious once free in the environment, but all types of trash and debris that are haphazardly disposed of (or poorly managed) can end up in the stormwater system and eventually in a nearby creek, or directly in the Bay or ocean. Even leaves and yard clippings can contribute to the problem. When trash accumulates in our streets or sidewalks and flows down the storm drain, it either disappears into a pipe headed for a larger body of water or it gets stuck on top of the drain causing a backup. Localized flooding at the end of a block or at an intersection can happen very quickly this way. Perhaps you’ve seen it in your neighborhood.

How do we solve this flooding problem? 

One way to get involved and make a difference that may also convince others to change their own habits is to adopt a drain on your block! A few cities around the county have Adopt-A-Drain programs in place that make lending a hand in your community really easy. If you live in Belmont, Burlingame, San Mateo, or South San Francisco you may have already heard about these programs. If not, you can click on one of the cities above to get more details about the program.

While cities in San Mateo County have regular street maintenance to help keep gutters and storm drains clear of trash and debris,  Adopt-A-Drain programs look for resident volunteers to lend a hand to help minimize localized flooding during rain events, prevent stormwater pollution, and keep our communities looking clean. Residents can help by adopting a storm drain near home or work and by keeping the top area of the grate clear of trash and leaves. You can also report flooding or illegal dumping if you see it happening near your locale.

What do you do if your area doesn’t have an Adopt-A-Drain program? 

Adopting a drain is one of the easiest things you can do! You don’t need an official program to protect your neighborhood from flooding, all you need is a bucket, some rubber gloves, and a rake (optional)! Encourage others in your community to do the same by posting your efforts on Nextdoor. 

If you’re a storm drain warrior, we want to hear from you! Tell us about your efforts to reduce flooding and keep your neighborhood clean. Email us at info@flowstobay.org with details and pictures so we can feature your hard work.

Questions, comments? Need help getting in touch with the right person in your city? We’re here to help! Contact us here.

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