Puget Sound Starts Here - and 'here' is where we live. It's our backyard. It's our driveway. It's our neighborhood. It's our home. But what we do here is having a serious impact on our local waterways and ultimately Puget Sound.

Our actions pollute local waterways with yard chemicals, oil, grease, soap, and bacteria from pet waste and septic systems. When rainfall not absorbed by the ground flows over roads, sidewalks, driveways and yards, it pick ups these pollutants. This contaminated stormwater goes down storm drains and into ditches, emptying directly into streams, rivers, lakes and ending up in Puget Sound. Approximately 75% of the pollution in Puget Sound comes from stormwater runoff that starts in our neighborhoods.

Here are a few things each of us can do to help restore and protect our local waterways:

• In Your Yard: Practice natural yard care. Use fertilizer and pesticides according to directions, or just use compost.
  
  
• With Your Car: Take your car to a commercial car wash or wash it on your lawn. When fundraising, use a fish-friendly car wash kit. If it leaks fix it, or at least use cardboard to soak up leaks. Visit our auto maintenance page and get discounts from our car care partners.
  
  
• Around Your Dog: Scoop up dog poop, bag it, tie securely and place it in the trash. www.piercecountywa.org/petwaste
  
  
• At Home and More: Use green cleaning solutions, always store and dispose of hazardous products according to the label. Maintain your septic system. Dispose of medications at drop-off sites.
  
  
• Mark Storm Drains: Check out a storm drain marking kit to mark drains in your neighborhood or at your business, for more info visit our drain marking page.
  
  
• Volunteer in Your Watershed: Learn more about opportunities to get involved in your watershed.
  

For more information about what you can do to help and how to get involved, go to: www.pugetsoundstartshere.org.