Residents Asked to Help Protect Water

Wyckoff, like all other New Jersey municipalities, has been mandated by the state Department of Environmental Protection to decrease water runoff, or non-point source pollution.

Such pollution results from everyday activities such as fertilizing lawns, walking pets, changing motor oil and littering. With each rainfall, pollutants generated by these activities are washed from the streets and lawns in stormwater drains, which flow into local waterways and the ocean.

To help decrease such pollution, heed the following steps: 

• Use a car wash that recycles its water;
• Service your vehicle regularly—this will keep oils and other fluids from leaking onto the pavement where they are washed into storm drains;
• Don't pour motor oil, antifreeze or other chemicals down the drain or on the ground. Bring these items to the Bergen County Utility Authority's Hazardous Waste Collection sites;
• Compost leaves and grass clippings. Using compost will return valuable nutrients to the soil and reduce the need for fertilizer;
• Use environmentally friendly, phosphate-free cleaning products such as baking soda or white vinegar;
• Don't rake leaves or lawn debris into the street. Leaves must be kept at least 10 feet from storm drains;
• Pick up after your pets. Animal waste when left on the ground is washed by rain and melting snow into storm drains that carry it to our waterways;
• Don't litter;
• Recycle.