Learn about water from New York projects

EPA's Healthy Watersheds Program Promotes Planning for Green Infrastructure at the Landscape Scale - A Case Study of New York
There will be a webinar on Tuesday, January 14 from noon to 2 p.m.  Listen from your computer.
http://water.epa.gov/learn/training/wacademy/upload/flyer-gi-landscapes-ny.pdf

I'd also like to share this link below that I came across when looking up the benefits of trees for reducing stormwater runoff and helping clean water.   Trees also have air quality benefits and energy-savings benefits.  According to the assessment of the value of trees in New York City the total of $122 million was given as the value
http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/trees_greenstreets/images/treecount_report.pdf

Proper Flushing Fun Reading

Ode to the Toilet
and Proper Flushing   
       Read as if you are telling 
”Twas the Night Before Christmas”

 It’s oh so convenient to have bathrooms galore
   For women, for men, for youth
close to the floor.
They’re in homes, businesses, and in our schools
   Without them we would be feeling sick and blue.

Isn’t it okay  to put anything down drains near to us

   Down sinks, bathtubs, toilets,
and such?
No –we must keep some things out of the city sewer route
   For quite serious problems may   come about.              

Miles of sewer runs ‘neath the ground.
Infrastructure assists the flow to flow ‘round.
Night and day, the treatment process should keep workin’ fine.
   When everyone sends only the right stuff – ev’ry time.

What can cause a stir and dreadful circumstance
   Is when things can’t make it to the treatment plant.
Instead they become stuck; should never’ve been flushed
   The message of "flushable" needs to be hushed.

Dental floss, hair, and
aquarium  gravel
   Down a drain – no! – it really does matter.
It can be expensive – and cause a big mess
   A clog, Yuck! an overflow!–generates much stress!

No rags, no wrappers or grease from cooking
   The process may become halted and require us to go looking.
To remedy the problem will cost more than a dime.
   It’s better to prevent problems and not take up time.

 

Cotton balls, swabs, toys and cigarettes
   Toss in the garbage, not the toilet?  U bet!
Flush this? What about that? Don’t be fooled
   The toilet's not a trashcan,
please remember that rule.

Each day millions of gallons head over to us.
    We clean it and send it to the lake with no fuss.
For treatment to run smoothly and water to be cleaned
    We need everyone to use the drains as should be.

Keep wipes and facial tissue out of the bowl
   Tell your whole family and others you know.
Now you’ve been reminded what's to not go down in the loo.
   Clean water that we depend on depends on you.


The toilet, the sewer, or the        septic tank
   May be in real danger from a little ol' prank.
It’s simple what we all need to do:
   Use drains properly all the year through.

Find disposal info on the
City website
   On what do to with meds, paint, oil, and the like.
We clean wastewater, we’re the other end of the pipe.
   Thanks for helping us keep things working right.

2013 – Wendy @ the Superior Wastewater Treatment Plant

Keep up the great work, Wisconsin!!

The DNR just released its 2013 report on the state’s electronics recycling law and looks like we are doing great! Since the 2010 electronic recycling law took effect, Wisconsin households and schools recycled 123 millions pounds of electronics. Our state still has one of the highest per capita collection totals (6.8 lbs/resident) among the 25 states with e-waste laws. Hooray!

The full report is found here.

If you are still unsure of where to recycle your e-waste, check these sites out:
City of Superior disposal
E-Cycle Wisconsin


 

Fun Event at Library Next Week!!

If you are looking for something fun to do with the little ones next Friday (Dec. 27), then we have just the thing. "Our water is in our hands" is a fun program about keeping our freshwater healthy and will include a puppet show, story, and activity. It will be held at the Superior Public Library at 1 pm.

Webinars next Thursday

Please join us for more webinars next Thursday (Dec. 19). There will be a webinar on recycling in morning at 10 am. Then at 1 pm there will be one on the streams of Superior.

Also, if you didn't get a chance to attend the previous webinars in the Environmental Matters series, they are all on YouTube and can be found through the city website.

Recycle your Holiday Lights - Superior idea

Western Lake Superior Habitat for Humanity wants your old holiday lights to recycle.  The green initiative will be accepting old, used, and defective holiday lights through January 8.  All proceeds raised go toward the organization's programs to assist low-income families throughout the area.  Lights can be dropped off at Habitat ReStore, 1621 Broad Way St. or at Campbell's Lumber in Superior, all Twin Ports area SuperOne Foods stores and Alco in Moose Lake.

Pick up pet waste - new videos

Picking up after your pets is important to help our local water quality stay clean.

Here are recently released local videos with the local Animal Allies organization.
http://youtu.be/0-TKIp7KMo4

http://youtu.be/u8sZhqDFm2A

Closed on the 28th and 29. Happy Thanksgiving!

The office will be closed Thursday and Friday for the holiday.  Please be sure to keep the turkey grease out of the drain.  Enjoy the food with family and friends. 

Sewer Overflows are a Mess - Don't Put Extra Stuff in the Toilet

Some Things
Don't Belong
in the Toilet

We want to make sure our community is aware that disposable does not mean flushable.  It is best to keep items all items beyond toilet paper and you know what out of the toilet.  Hair, toys, candy wrappers, rags, baby wipes, kitty litter, rubber items like latex gloves, cigarette butts and disposable toilet brushes should not be flushed.  Send those items to the trash can. 

It may seem like these items would not cause a problem.  However, clogs can and do happen.  Then it can be an unfortunate mess coming up from your toilet bowl - beyond what a plunger can mend.
We don't want problems further down the line either - which again can be expensive and a hassle.  Even if you are not on city sewer and have a septic service the items should still not be flushed.

Homeowners are responsible for their property's sewer pipes.  Improper flushing can lead to an extra bill for you to pay and you probably don't want that.  

A reminder too that household hazardous waste and medicines should also not be flushed.  Unwanted medicines should be brought to the Superior Police Station which has a medicine dropbox.  Medicines that comes through the sewer line to the wastewater treatment plant is not necessarily removed and can then go right out the Superior Bay - which is where our drinking water also comes from.  Measurable amounts of medicines have been found in streams and the Great Lakes.
Drugs in water   And, there are many examples of this!

Household hazardous waste should be brought to WLSSD in Duluth at 27th Ave W. and the waterfront. Their contact information is (218)722-0761.  Just because something is liquid doesn't mean it should go down a drain.  Some toxic chemicals can create a problem with the treatment process.   Many of the household hazardous waste items (HHW) can actually be recycled or, the Product Reuse Center at WLSSD is a great way to let someone else use the product, such as leftover paint.   We can all look for and use safe alternatives to products, like making your own non-toxic cleaners.
Thanks for helping to keep the sewer system working fine.  Treating wastewater is what we do and we need your help to not disrupt the good bacteria that are the workers helping to clean the water before we release it into the bay.

World Toilet Day

Did you know that today is World Toilet Day?  This holiday was created to bring awareness to the fact that billions of people do not have access to clean water and proper sanitation.  This leads to illness, death, and less education for women. Let the toilet below explain.

While we're lucky enough to have an abundance of clean water and the technology to clean our wastewater, we shouldn't be complacent.  We need to ensure that we have clean water far into the future, so make use of our water saving tips here or watch our webinar about it here.

-Written by Jillian Schubert Edwards