Did you know that washing your car can cause serious damage to the stormwater in our area?

"Most people wash their cars with detergent and soaps that contain phosphorous, a nutrient that is also in fertilizer," said Wellington Carvalho, president of CFE Consulting Services, LLC. "When you have too much phosphorous, you are going to have plants in the water, such as algae, grow excessively."

Or how about the fact that using fertilizer on your lawn can also pollute the water we use?

"The three main elements in fertilizer are nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium," Carvalho said. "Nutrients for the fertilizers get picked up from the rain and mix in with our streams."

These were just some of the warnings that were given by Carvalho on May 11, at the Mamaroneck Union Free School District Stormwater Management public meeting, which is required to be held annually by state law.

Also on hand was George McNally, director of school facilities for Mamaroneck, who talked about the student initiatives that were undertaken by the district and some of the things that the schools can do to help.

"This meeting is not about what to do about flooding, and usually people that come to this meeting think that is the case," McNally said. "This is about the green applications and water conservation of the stormwater."

Both men said the purpose of the meeting was to inform the public about the dangers and talk about ways to reduce pollution from stormwater, but, unfortunately, none of the public showed up.

"We are required to hold a public meeting once a year to discuss what it is we are doing," Carvalho said. "The public needs to understand that there are actions they can take to help."

Some advice for helping keep the water pollutant-free include: cleaning up spilled fluids with an absorbent material like kitty litter or sand; recycle used oil and other automotive fluids at participating service stations; sweep up and properly dispose of construction debris such as concrete and mortar; and use hazardous substances like paints, solvents and cleaners in the smallest amounts possible, and follow the directions on the label.

McNally said that schools are trying to get the students involved more with programs and activities aimed at fostering student understanding.

"We try to get involved with the kids with educational measures," said McNally. "We want them to be cognitive of what they can do to help."

Among the student initiatives that were undertaken by the district was creating a storm drain stenciling program at Mamaroneck High School and showing all students a DVD of "After the Storm," co-produced by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Weather Channel on stormwater and local watersheds.

"The biggest impact is whatever you see out there near the school buildings—on the parking lots, the recreational fields—all that garbage, debris, soda cans, they can help by picking them up," McNally said. "If it rains, the water will pick up all of those pollutants and bring them into the watersheds."