Pollution Prevention in Public Spaces

Litter Clean-up

No one enjoys taking a nice stroll in the park only to step around a lot of trash. Keeping our public spaces litter free can make it a more enjoyable experience while also protecting our natural waters and environment from collecting the trash. Here are some tips to keep our public spaces trash-free:

• Some items of trash are more harmful to our wildlife and aquatic ecosystems than others. Cigarette butts contain chemicals that can be released into our natural waters if they end up there. Six-pack rings can be hurt fish and animals if they get caught in them. It’s important to ensure these items get thrown in secure trash bins that won’t allow the trash to blow away in the wind.
• If in a public space with limited trash bins, keep a few reused plastic sacks in your car, bag, or pocket to hold any generated trash. Having something to carry the trash might also allow you to pick up a few extra pieces of litter along the way, and it wouldn’t go unnoticed to our fish and wildlife friends!
• If you see any excessive amounts of trash or dangerous looking items such as sharp needles, please call and report those items to the Public Works Administration so that our Streets & Parks Division can get it appropriately handled.

Reporting Leaks

Sometimes an unusual amount or color of water can be seen flowing beside a curb and running into a storm drain. Accidents do happen, but Midwest City divisions are here to help. Here are some tips on when and how to report an unusual leak:

• When a Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) occurs and spills onto the ground, it becomes a health and environmental hazard. SSOs could be easily noticed leaking directly from a manhole or cleanout. But a leak can also occur from a broken pipe that may be going straight into a creek and only noticed by the smell or gray color of the water. These sewage leaks have a negative effect on the water quality and can be costly for both the city and residents. In your own home, the best thing to do is to help prevent a back-up from occurring by not flushing or rinsing unnecessary items down the drain. In a public space, if you notice the odd smell or color of water, please call and report the issue to our Stormwater Quality Division. We will ensure the issue is quickly investigated and addressed.
•  Something to remember: homeowners are responsible for the maintenance of the service line from the house to the city’s sewer main line. However, always call and report a leak to the city before calling a plumber as the leak may be caused by the city’s sewer main line. A city crew is on-call 24/7 to address city sewer main issues. The numbers to call can be found under Water Resources.
• Sometimes, clean potable water may be seen leaking down the street and into a storm drain. During the summer months, a water faucet may be accidentally left on. During the winter months, a water line may have frozen and busted. Whatever the case is, reporting a water leak to our Stormwater Quality Division will allow us to investigate and address the issue. Please give us a call if you see anything unusual, it will help keep chemical pollutants out of our natural waters!