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### I Directions/Hours MARTINEZ, CA • FOUNDED 1923 

# Pollution Prevention
Pollution prevention (sometimes called "P2j is an approach to environmental protection that focuses on eliminating or reducing pollution at its source.

• Water Quality Excellence Award ofOutstanding Public Outreach in Pollution Prevention • National P2 Week and MVSD P2 Billboard • Dr. Teng-Chung Wu and Mt. View Sanitary District • Proper Disposal of Household Hazardous Waste • ToiletsAre NotTrash Cans • No Drugs Down the Drain • Stop the F.O.G. (Fats. Oils. and Grease) • Mt. View Sanitary District Newsletter • Source Control • Copper Pollution 

## Water Quality Excellence Award ofOutstanding Public Outreach in Pollution Prevention In 2006, San Francisco Bay Regional Water Board presented Mt. View Sanitary District with the Water Quality Excellence Award ofOutstanding Public Outreach in Pollution Prevention:

• For leadership in developing an outstanding P2 educational program to educate children about marsh ecology, pollutants, howthey enterthe environment, and P2 alternatives forthe home; • For implanting a highly collaborative program through standard science curricula continuously taughtto over 1,500 third-fifth graders, county-wide each year; • For developing model educational references about marsh ecology and P2, thereby promoting P2 awareness and long-term behavioral changes in future generations. 

## National P2 

## week and MVSD P2 Billboard National Pollution Prevention (P2) Week is the third full week in September each year. P2 Week is an opportunityfor individuals, schools, communities, industries and agencies to show case or share

### Ideas on howtheyreduce waste, becomemore efficientorreduce eneqyconsumption. To promote pollution prevention, Mt. VIew sanitary Districthas celebrated national P2Weekwith Its 

### billboard program. Since 2000, MVSD has partneredwith agendeslikethe

### Callfomla Department of 

### Toxic SubstancesControl (DTSQ, theCaliforniaAssociation of

### sanltaUanAgendes (CASA), 

### Bay

### Ami 

### CleanWaterAgencies (BACWA), and many moreto

### pmduce pollution prevention messages and visuals forthis annual outreacheffort. The billboard is located neartheMVSD treatmentplant along Interstate 680in Martinez, oneexitfmm the Benicia-Martinez**Bri~e.** 

### Thebridge connects Solana andContra Costa counties, and hasthethird highestbridge traffic in the Bay

### Area. In April 2009, CallfomlaSpecial DlsbictsAssociation (CSDA)featured MVSD's P2 Billboard program In Its 

### statewide magazine. The article Is titled "Small Districtwith

### a Bl"**Me=;8~."** 

## Past 

# Billboard Designs

2000 Billboard

2002 Billboard2003 Billboard

2004 Billboard

2005 Billboard2006 Billboard

2007 Billboard



### .2008 Billboard.2009 Billboard

2010AmericanWetlands Month Billboard


## Dr. TenJ.ChunJWu and Mt.VIewSanitary District

### Dr. Wu 

### Iswidely regarded <15

### the"Grandfatherof

### Pollution Prevention" In the Golden State for his**slgnHie<~nt**

### efforts 

### In the fields ofwastewater pollution prevention and promotion of

### the use of treated wastewater forthe enhancement ofthe environment. After35years ofRegional Water Board service and retiring as a Division Chief. Dr. Wu 

### chose to

### come

## to Mt.

### VIewsanitary District (MVSD) In

## zooztocontinue

## toserve as an environmental ambassador. Dr. wu used MVSD as a model plant and a successful example to

### educate foreign dignitaries on global preservation of

### the environment. Dr. Wu 

### retired from MVSD In Z006 afterservingas the District'sTechnical services Director. During his lime at

### MVSD, Dr. Wu 

### was astaunch supporterofpollution prevention efforts, wetland enhancements. and public outreach, both 

### locallyand internationally. In 2007,the Regional Water Board established the Dr.**ren~une** 

### Wu pollutiOn pceyention Awan:l 

### in memoryof

### Dr. Teng-Chung Wu. lhisannual award recognizes Dr. Wlls dedication to

### improvingwater qualitythroughoutthis career and, in particular, his leadership in pollution prevention. MVSD Is proud to 

### canyon Dr. Wlis legacy. 

# Proper Disposal ofHousehold Hazardous 

# waste Batteries. fluorescent bulbs. mercul)"<ontalnlng devices like thermostats and thermometers. unwanted pesticides and fertilizers. paints and paint-related products. pool chemicals. household cleaning products. and automotivewaste like used 

### motoroil and antifreeze should be dropped 

### off at local household hazardous waste

### collection facilities. MtVIew sanitary District has teamed upwith Central Contra Costa sanitary District (CCCSD)

### to provide household hazardous

## waste collection services for central Contra Costa count;y residentsand small businesses. 

### As a result ofthis partnership, recycling and collection services of household hazardous waste are free for our residents. For more information about the facility, directions, and hours of operation, click here orvisit CCCSD's website
. For a list of other recycling and collection facilities throughout the Bay Area, visit: www.Earth911.com
. 

## Toilets Are Not Trash Cans Toilets are not for diapers, cleaning wipes, baby wipes, personal wipes, fabric dryer sheets, feminine products, dental floss, rags, toys, cooking grease, expired cough medicine and cold pills. Disposable wipes, even flushable wipes, should notgo down the drain. Even though some products are labeled as flushable, no materials, except toilet paper, are truly flushable. When inappropriate items are flushed down the toilet, they clog sewer pipes and create backups that cost time and moneyto clear. Our sewer systems are not designed to accommodate anything other than human waste. These types of products are not flushable and cause blockages which lead to overflows. Overflows require expensive emergency response from our crews and leads to environmentaI consequences. Repair and cleanup can also be pricey for homeowners. Calling a plumber to clear a backup can cost $200 or more. Ifthe sewer lateral needs to be replaced, it can run upwards of$5,000. Furthermore, sewage that overflows in a home can contaminate carpet and walls. Please only flush human waste and toilet paper into your toilet. To know how to properly dispose of used medicine and medical sharps, see the following section of No Drugs Down the Drain. To find out what to do with cooking grease, see the section ofStop F.O.G. <Fats. Oils and Grease)
. 

## No Drugs Down the Drain

### Mt. View Sanitary District is proud to participate in the Statewide Campaign for "No Drugs Down the Drain!" C www.NoDrugsDownTheDrain.org> Medicine flushed down the drain can end up inyour local creeks, bays and the ocean. So while medicine is good forwhat ails you, it's importantto dispose ofleftover medication properly so itdoesn't hurtthe environment. 

## Old Pills Piling Up? There are now nine drop-off locations in Central Contra Costa County to dispose ofunwanted and expired pharmaceuticals. Flyer Is available. Contra Costa County Sheriffs Field Operations Building 1980 Muir Road, Martinez (925) 313-2520 Contra Costa Regional Medical Center Sheriffs Substation 2500 Alhambra Avenue, Martinez (925) 370-5331 Walnut Creek City Hall 1666 North Main Street, Walnut Creek (925) 943-5899 City ofClayton Police Department 6000 Heritage Trail, Clayton (925) 673-7350 City of Martinez City Hall 525 Henrietta Street, Martinez (925) 372-3500

### City of Pleasant Hill 330 Civic Drive, Pleasant Hill (925) 671-5270 Town of Moraga Police Department 32 Rheem Blvd•• Moraga (925) 888-7055 City ofOrinda City Hall 22 Orinda Way. Orinda (925) 253-4200 Expected to open soon: Town of Danville 510 La Gonda Way, Danville (925) 314-3380 IMPORTANT Drop-Off Instructions:
• Do NOT dispose ofsyringes or needles with medications. • To ensure privacy, take medications out oftheir original containers and putthem in a sealable plastic bag. • Please leave liquids in their original container and mark out personal information, and then place the bottle into a sealable plastic bag.



## Stop the F.O.G. (Fats, Oils, and Grease.) It's 

## Choking our Sewers and Waterways(Artwork courtesy of Delta Diablo Sanitation District, Antioch") Onlyyou can contain the horror. Underneath your home, an oozing menace lurks- the F.O.G. Part FATS, part OILS, and part GREASE, F.O.G. can pollute our waterways, choke our sewers and cause monstrous plumbing problems. F.O.G. causes blockages of drain and sewer lines the same way that greasy food causes blockage of the arteries in our bodies. When grease is poured down sinks, it can solidify and sticks to the insides ofyour sewer pipes. Over time pipes can decrease in diameterwith the buildup of F.O.G. This can cause sewer backups into houses or onto streets. Running water- hot or cold orwith soap

- doesn't help! Itwill cool and harden in the sewer line. Sometimes F.O.G. is obvious, for example, cooking oil, lard, butter and margarine, shortening, bacon grease and meat fat trimmings. At othertimes, it is less apparent as in sauces and salad dressings. Don't pour cooking oil, grease or greasyfood down the drain. Always trap F.O.G. in a sealed container and put it in the trash. Wipe away any residual grease or oil on dishes, pots or pans with a paper towel before washing them. 

## Copper Pollution Copper is a commonly used metal in everyday items such as cars, electrical wiring and plumbing. While copper plumbing is almost always harmless, it is possible for copper to corrode and contaminate water. This can also happen when copper items are disposed of improperlyand this harmful material makes its way to the wastewater system. Persistent sources of copper in wastewater comes from pools, spas and fountains treated with copper algaecides, copper containing pesticides and copper plumbing. After MVSD treats wastewater, the effluent is released into our system of marshes, where it can reenter into the water system. These marshes are home to a variety oforganisms. At MVSD, we want to do everything we can to keep these organisms safe because they are vital to our ecosystem. This includes ensuring that our effluent does not become contaminated with copper. In fact, we are required by our National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit to monitor copper levels in the effluent water. MVSD's treatment process removes approximately 85% of copper from wastewater before discharging to Moorhen Marsh. MVSD is also working to ensure that copper-containing waste items, such as old plumbing materials, are disposed of properly. These items should be disposed of atthe Household Hazardous WasteCollection Facility. We will continue monitoring the amount ofcopper that is in our effluentto ensure that it does not reach harmful levels. However, we need your help to keep the environment free ofcopper contamination. Thankyou for helping us by properly disposing ofyour copper waste items! We also recommend using copper-free algaecides and pesticides, and ask your plumbers to use best management practices when installing copper pipes. Learn more about Draining Pools 

### &Spas