Clean Waters

Clean Waters
Starting in Your Home and Yard
Animal Waste and Water Quality
It’s first thing in the morning and the
ing animal waste out of the water. While it may
dog wants to go out right NOW, the cats
seem easier to ignore the problem of animal waste,
are standing by their litter box waiting for some
remember that you are protecting not only the
fresh kitty litter, and your toddler is demanding a
environment but also your own health.
Clean Waters is a
trip to the park to feed the ducks. While none of
collaboration of the
Connecticut Sea
these activities may sound like a major threat to the
Keeping Animal Waste Out of the Water
Grant Extension
environment, animal waste is one of the many little
Program and the
sources of pollution that can add up to big prob-
1. Pick up after your pet. Preventing water pol-
University of
lems for water quality and may cause human
lution can be as simple as remembering to take
Connecticut
Cooperative
health problems as well. While most people con-
along a plastic bag or pooper scooper when you
Extension
nect animal waste problems to agriculture, studies
walk your dog. For both “quality of life” and public
SystemÕs NEMO
have shown that pets, waterfowl and other urban
health reasons, many communities actually have
Project, educating
wildlife waste can cause significant water pollution
laws requiring anyone taking their animal off of
individuals about
the impacts of
problems.
their property to immediately clean up the waste
everyday activities
Animal waste contains several types of pollu-
after the pet relieves itself. Your choices once you
on water quality
tants that contribute to water quality problems:
have picked up the waste include:
and simple tech-
nutrients, pathogens and a naturally toxic material,
• Flush it down the toilet so the septic system or
niques that help
protect water
ammonia. When animal waste ends up in a lake,
sewage treatment plant will treat it in the same
resources from the
stream, or Long Island Sound, it decomposes,
manner as human waste.
home well to Long
using up oxygen and releasing its pollutant load.
• Put it in the trash. This is less effective, as waste
Island Sound.
During summer months when the water is warm,
that ends up in a
the combination of low oxygen levels and ammonia
landfill may still
can kill fish and other aquatic organisms. The nutri-
cause pollution
ents cause excessive growth of aquatic weeds and
problems. Putting
algae. When these conditions make the water
animal waste in
murky green and smelly, or when the surface of
the trash is actu-
the water is completely covered with a thick mat of
ally against the
6
vegetation, the area becomes unattractive or unus-
law in some com-
PLEASE
able for swimming, boating or fishing.
munities.
Pathogens, the disease-causing bacteria and
• Bury it in your
CLEAN UP
viruses associated with animal waste, can also
yard. The
AFTER
make water unsafe for human use. If pathogens or
microorganisms
YOUR PET
the indicator bacteria associated with animal waste
in the soil will
are found during water testing, shellfish beds may
break down the waste and release the nutrients to
be closed to harvest, beaches may be closed to
nearby plants. Make sure the hole is at least five
swimming and drinking water supplies may require
inches deep and located away from vegetable gar-
t
Sheet
expensive filtration or disinfection.
dens, children’s play areas, or any lake, stream,
c
a
Fortunately, there are some simple practices
wetland, well or ditch. CAUTION: Don’t bury waste
F
December 1999
everyone can do to help prevent pollution by keep-
in your compost pile. The pile does not get hot
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enough to kill the
does them no good and may cause long-term
pathogens and
health problems.
using the com-
Feeding waterfowl also tends to cause the birds
post could cause
to concentrate in numbers higher than can be sup-
illness.
ported by the natural food supplies. This can
• Install an under-
cause problems in the winter months when fewer
ground pet waste
people come to the park or shore with food. There
digester. These
have been cases along the Connecticut shoreline
function like small
where swans were so used to being fed at a par-
etts-White
septic tanks.
ticular location that they remained in the area long
Before buying
after the feeding stopped, became too weak to fly
DON’T FEED WATERFOWL
one, check for
someplace with a better food supply, and eventual-
Judy Rick
local laws that
ly died of starvation. These large flocks of birds
may restrict their use or location.
also create large quantities of waste and the seri-
2. Keep your yard clean. While there are no
ous water pollution problems described earlier in
laws requiring you to clean up animal waste on
this fact sheet.
your own property, there are good reasons to be
4. Dispose of kitty litter properly. When
careful where you leave it to decay. Some diseases
cleaning out the litter box, a two-step approach is
can be transmitted from pet waste to humans
most effective. Cat waste may be scooped out and
through soil contact. Children who play outside and
flushed down the toilet, and the used litter should
adults that garden are most at risk for infection, so
be bagged, sealed and placed in the trash.
Dumping the entire contents of the litter box down
cleaning up waste from play and garden areas is
your toilet will cause plumbing problems and pre-
especially important. Washing hands with anti-bac-
maturely fill up your septic tank or sewer system
The Connecticut
terial soap and water after working or playing in the
with indigestible material, but sending untreated
Sea Grant College
dirt is the best protection from disease.
Program, based at
cat waste to the landfill can cause pollution prob-
Some of the more common waste-borne dis-
the University of
lems.
Connecticut, is
eases and their symptoms are the following.
While it may not seem like a big deal if one more
part of a national
Camplyobacteriosis causes diarrhea in humans.
dog, cat or bird “contributes” some waste to the
network of univer-
Salmonellosis has symptoms including fever,
neighborhood environment, think about how many
sity-based pro-
headache, vomiting and diarrhea. Toxocariasis is a
animals there are out there. Animal waste may not
grams sponsoring
coastal and
roundworm that may cause a rash, fever, and
be the biggest or most toxic pollutant going into
marine-related
cough or vision loss. Toxoplasmosis, a protozoan
your local waters, but it is one of those little prob-
research, outreach
parasite that can cause severe birth defects if a
lems that, when all the pieces are added together,
and education.
woman becomes infected during pregnancy, is the
leads to serious environmental and health prob-
reason pregnant women are told to avoid handling
lems. So please think twice about your pet’s bath-
used kitty litter. This parasite can also cause prob-
room habits and do your part to help keep our
waters and environment clean.
lems for people with weak immune systems.
Symptoms include headache, muscle aches and
Reference: J.A. Hill and C.D. Johnson. Pet Waste and
lymph node enlargement.
Water Quality. Wisconsin Nonpoint Source Water
3. Don’t feed waterfowl. While one of the
Pollution Abatement Program. January 1992.
pleasures of a trip to the park has always been tak-
Written by –
ing stale bread to feed the ducks, the environmen-
Heather M. Crawford
tal and health impacts of this activity for both
Coastal Resources Educator
humans and birds can be serious. While ducks,
CT Sea Grant Extension Program
geese and swans all love bread, it lacks in the nutri-
ents and roughage of their natural diet. Feeding
For more information contact: Connecticut Sea Grant,
t Sheet #6
these birds bread is similar to feeding a small child
1084 Shennecossett Rd. Groton, CT 06340
ac
a diet of candy and soda; they may love it, but it
www.seagrant.uconn.edu
F
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