Check out our video for ideas on how to keep our water clean. (requires Quicktime)

Here are some helpful tips:

• Make a date. Car wash facilities treat their dirty water before discharging it to our lakes and rivers. So, make a date to take your car to a car wash.
• Wash it — on the grass. If you wash your car at home, consider washing it on the lawn. Or, if you can't use the lawn, try to direct the dirty water towards the lawn and away from the storm drain.
• Minimize it. Reduce the amount of soap you use or wash your car with plain water.
• Maintain it. Keep your vehicle properly tuned. Use the owner's manual to guide decisions about how often it is necessary to change fluids such as oil and antifreeze.
• Take advantage of business expertise. Consider taking your vehicle to the shop to have the oil and other fluids changed. These businesses have the ability to recycle the used materials and clean up accidental spills.
• Recycle. If you choose to change your oil and other fluids yourself, label the waste containers. Then, take them to your community's household hazardous waste collection or to a business that accepts used oil. Never dump used oil, antifreeze, or other fluids on the ground or down the storm drain.
• Soak it up. Use kitty litter promptly to absorb small amounts of spilled vehicle fluids. Then sweep it into a bag and throw it in the trash.
• Do it under cover. Perform vehicle maintenance in a well-ventilated, but covered location, like a garage. This minimizes rainfall from washing those inevitable spills and drips into our waterways.

Additional ways to get the messege out

• Keep the Ours to Protect season calendar handy so the entire region is sending a consistent message.
• Place a link to the "Ours to Protect" program on your Web site.
• Check out the Ours to Protect calendar of events.

Visit www.semcog.org for additional information.

For questions about the "Our Water. Our Future. Ours to Protect." program contact Iris Steinberg at steinberg@semcog.org or 313-961-4266.