Fresh Concrete & Mortar Application

• Masons and Bricklayers
• Sidewalk Construction Crews
• Patio construction Workers
• Construction Inspectors
• Home Builders
• Developers

Creek, River and Ocean Pollution Prevention: Its Up to Us

Santa Rosa has two drainage systems-the sanitary sewers and the storm drains. The storm drain system was designed to prevent flooding by carrying excess rainwater away from city streets out to local creeks, the Russian River and the ocean. Because the system contains no filters, it now serves the unintended function of carrying urban pollution straight to our waterways.

This pamphlet tells you how to prevent pollution from "storm water" or "urban runoff".

Rain, industrial and household water mixed with urban pollutants creates storm water pollution. The pollutants include: oil and other automotive fluids, paint and construction debris, yard and pet wastes, pesticides and litter.

Urban runoff pollution contaminates the waterways, closes beaches, harms aquatic life and increases the risk of inland flooding by clogging gutters and catch basins. Overall, storm water pollution costs the Sonoma County economy.

These Best Management Practices (BMP's) will ensure cleaner waterways and cities.

Concrete & Mortar Application Problems

Fresh concrete and mortar activities are frequent sources of urban runoff pollution. Materials and wastes blown or washed into a street, gutter or storm drain have a direct impact on our waterways.

Sediment is the most common pollutant washed from work sites, creating multiple problems once it enters the creeks, river and ocean. Sediment clogs the gills of fish, blocks light transmission and increases water temperature, all of which harm sea life, disrupting the food chain upon which both fish and people depend.

Sediment also carries with it other worksite pollutants such as cement wash, gravel, asphalt, pesticides, cleaning solvents, motor oil, grease and fuel. Thus, poorly maintained equipment and vehicles leaking fuel and oil at the worksite also contribute to ocean pollution.

Solutions

Best Management Practices such as handling, storing, and disposing of materials properly can prevent pollutants from entering storm drains.

 A. General Business Practices

• Schedule projects for dry weather periods.
• Keep materials out of the rain. Store both dry and wet materials under cover, protected from rainfall and runoff. Also, protect dry materials from the wind.
• Secure open bags of cement to keep wind-blown cement powder away from streets, gutters, storm drains, rainfall and runoff.

B. Cleaning up

• When cleaning up after driveway or sidewalk construction, wash concrete dust onto dirt areas, not down the driveway or into the street or storm drain.
• Wash out concrete mixers and equipment only in designated wash-out areas, where the water flows into containment ponds or onto dirt.
• Recycle cement wash water by pumping it back into cement mixers for reuse.
• Never dispose of cement washout into driveways, streets, gutters, storm drains or drainage ditches.

C. During Construction

 Place erosion controls (ie. berms or temporary vegetation) down-slope to capture runoff carrying mortar or cement before it reaches the storm drain.

• Do not order or mix up more fresh concrete or cement than you will use.
• Set up and operate small mixers on tarps or heavy drop cloths.
• When breaking up paving (cement or asphalt), be sure to pick up all the pieces. Recycle them at a crushing company. For disposal information, call the ECO-DESK HOTLINE at 527-3375.
• Dispose of small amounts of excess dry concrete, grout and mortar in the trash.
• Never bury waste material. Recycle or dispose of it as hazardous waste material. For disposal information, call the ECO-DESK HOTLINE at 527-3375.

D. Handling Materials & Wastes

• Practice Source Reduction-minimize waste when ordering materials. Order only the amounts needed to complete the job.
• Use recycled and recyclable materials whenever possible.
• Recycle broken asphalt, concrete, wood and cleared vegetation. Unrecyclable materials must be taken to an appropriate landfill or disposed of as hazardous waste. Call the numbers listed on this pamphlet for disposal information.

E. Disposal Options

Use a crushing company to recycle cement, asphalt and porcelain rather than taking them to a landfill. Call the ECO-DESK HOTLINE at 527-3375 for information.

STORM WATER POLLUTION PREVENTION PROGRAM RESOURCE GUIDE

SPILLS AND DUMPING IN STORM DRAINS AND CREEKS

EMERGENCY SPILL SITUATION

TOXIC AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

GASOLINE - ANTIFREEZE - OIL - PAINT - ETC.

CITY OR COUNTY: 9-1-1

NON-EMERGENCY SPILL SITUATION

NON TOXIC OR NON HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

CITY: 543-3881 (FIELD SERVICES)

COUNTY: 525-6565 (ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH)

TO REPORT CLOGGED STORM DRAINS OR DITCHES

CITY: 543-3881 (PUBLIC WORKS)

COUNTY: 524-7280 (PUBLIC WORKS)

ECO - DESK HOTLINE 527-DESK (3375)

For more information on RECYCLING call the ECO-DESK. They have many listings and ideas.

This brochure is one of a series of pamphlets describing storm drain protection measures for construction projects. Other pamphlets include:

• City of Santa Rosa Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program
• Heavy Equipment & Earth - Moving Activities
• Roadwork & Paving
• General Construction & Site Supervision
• Home Repair & Remodeling
• Painting

Rev. April1998