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Trash & Stormwater
Effects of Trash on Creeks
and the Bay
Storm drains in the Santa Clara Valley transport water directly
to local creeks and San Francisco Bay without treatment. This means
trash and other pollutants washed down storm drains end up in our
creeks and rivers. Trash can form large accumulations in urban creeks,
like Coyote Creek, which can impact water quality, detract from
the beauty of local urban creek areas, hamper recreational use,
and potentially hinder flood control protection.
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Keeping Trash Out of
Creeks
Always throw trash
in the proper receptacle and never throw trash in the street,
sidewalk or riverbanks. If you see trash in the street in front
of your home or business, pick it up and put it in a trash can
before the trash is swept into the stormdrain system and into
the closest
creek. Minimize
the amount of trash you generate by using reusable or recyclable
materials when possible. Or volunteer to help keep trash
out of creeks through the City of San José's Adopt-A-Park,
Adopt-A-Trail or
the Santa Clara Valley Water District's Adopt-A-Creek programs.
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What the City is Doing
The City of San José and the Santa Clara Valley Water District
spend a lot of time and money picking up trash in the City’s
creeks and rivers. For example, under a joint agreement, the City
and Water District removed and disposed of over 16 tons of trash
from Coyote Creek and the Guadalupe River in 2006. Please see the
Annual City-District
2008 Trash Report for more information.
 Additionally, the City of San José is working with various Santa Clara County cities and the Santa Clara County Recycling and Waste Reduction Commission to encourage shopping with reusable bags and reduce the use of disposable bags regionally. To learn more about this effort, or request a reusable bag presentation, visit the Reusable Bags website.
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Report Storm Drain Dumping
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Call
(408) 945-3000
Or use the online form to
report illegal dumping to the storm drain.
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Help
keep our creeks clean and beautiful.