Sheboygan Waters

Pet waste Tips

  • Clean up pet wastes. Nutrients and bacteria from cats and dogs may wash toward lakes and streams.
  • Flush pet waste down the toilet; bury it in the yard or dispose of it in a specially designed pet waste composter.
  • Never put pet waste in or near a vegetable garden or in a compost pile that will be used in the vegetable garden.


Pet Waste

pet wasteAlthough it may not be the most glamorous job, picking up your pet’s waste benefits both our health and the ecosystem dbxvcbwe share. Pet waste is laced with bacteria and pathogens can easily be released into the environment when rain storms wash the waste off.  Not picking up after your pet threatens human health and introduces unhealthy levels of bacteria into the environment while creating a nuisance for those that have to step around or through it.

 

Animal waste may not be the biggest or most toxic pollutant going into your local waters, but it is one of those little problems that, when all the pieces are added together, leads to serious environmental and health problems. So please think twice about your pet’s bathroom habits and do your part to help keep our waters and environment clean. 

 

Follow these steps to curb the negative effects of your pet’s waste. 

  1. Pick up after your pet. Preventing water pollution can be as simple as remembering to take along a plastic bag or pooper scooper when you walk your dog. For both “quality of life” and public health reasons, many communities actually have laws requiring anyone taking their animal off of their property to immediately clean up the waste after the pet relieves itself. Your choices once you have picked up the waste include:
    • Flush it down the toilet so the septic system or sewage treatment plant will treat it in the same manner as human waste.
    • Put it in the trash. This is less effective, as waste that ends up in a landfill may still cause pollution problems.
    • Bury it in your yard. The microorganisms in the soil will break down the waste and release the nutrients to nearby plants. Make sure the hole is at least five inches deep and located away from vegetable gardens, children’s play areas, or any lake, stream, wetland, well or ditch. CAUTION: Don’t bury waste in your compost pile. The pile does not get hot enough to kill the pathogens and using the compost could cause illness.
    • Install an underground pet waste digester. These function like small septic tanks. Before buying one, check for local laws that may restrict their use or location.

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  2. Keep your yard clean. While there are no laws requiring you to clean up animal waste on your own property, there are good reasons to be careful where you leave it to decay. Some diseases can be transmitted from pet waste to humans through soil contact. Children who play outside and adults that garden are most at risk for infection, so cleaning up waste from play and garden areas is especially important.

  3. Dispose of kitty litter properly. When cleaning out the litter box, a two-step approach is most effective. Cat waste may be scooped out and flushed down the toilet, and the used litter should be bagged, sealed and placed in the trash. Dumping the entire contents of the litter box down your toilet will cause plumbing problems and prematurely fill up your septic tank or sewer system with indigestible material, but sending untreated cat waste to the landfill can cause pollution problems.