2023 Coastal Cleanup Day: 21,350 Pounds of Trash Collected
November 28, 2023
Coastal Cleanup Day 2023. Photo Credit: Orange County Coastkeeper
Coastal Cleanup Day 2023 was a tremendous success! Every year, this day of action is the state’s largest volunteer event which spans from the redwoods to the Mexican border. On September 23, over 5,300 Orange County residents rolled up their sleeves with us at 35 different coastal and inland cleanup events across OC.
Thank you to everyone who joined us to protect OC’s creeks, rivers, and ocean.
Total Impact
Volunteers did an incredible job protecting our communities. Across the 35 different OC cleanup events, volunteers removed over 21,350 pounds of trash from parks, beaches, and waterways. That’s almost 10 tons of trash that was prevented from reaching our water bodies!
This winter is forecasted to be another wet one, which makes these cleanups and placing trash in closed bins every day especially important in our efforts to prevent runoff pollution.
Storm Drain Vs. Sewer System
Do you know how our storm drain system and sewer system differ? Both serve critical purposes to keep OC safe and thriving.
The storm drain system is designed to quickly carry rainwater or runoff away from our streets, parking lots, and roofs to prevent flooding. You’ve likely seen storm drain openings on your street and around town. See how many you can count in your neighborhood next time you are on a walk!
Storm drain in Orange.
The sewer system is completely separate from the storm drain system. Sewer systems function to convey toilets, sink, and shower flows to a treatment plant where it gets cleaned before flowing into our water bodies.
Differences between the storm drain and sewer systems.
Unlike the sewer system, anything that enters the storm drain system, including pollutants like trash or bacteria from pet waste, flows untreated into our waterways. Placing all trash in closed bins is critical to preventing litter from getting into OC’s creeks, rivers, and ocean.
More Ways to Protect Orange County’s Waterways
There are many ways to get involved in your local community and protect our water resources.
- Explore your watershed and report water pollution. While you’re visiting Orange County’s creeks, trails, and coastline, make observations about water quality conditions. If you see anything abnormal (such as high numbers of dead fish or fowl, overwatering, trash in the gutter, or other signs of pollution), report it by visiting our Report Pollution page or calling 1-877-89-SPILL(77455).
- Connect with area watershed organizations through local events. Did you miss this year’s event? Don’t worry, there are more cleanup events throughout the year! Join H2OC, other organizations like Coastkeeper, and your neighbors who are working to protect and restore our creeks, rivers, bays, and ocean. Check out our calendar to find events in your area.
- Spread the word. To protect our waterways, share your knowledge about preventing water pollution and encourage others to do the same. Get the kids involved in learning about watersheds and pollution prevention through our Stormwater 101 for Students page.
- Follow us on social media. We love sharing pollution prevention tips on our Facebook and Instagram pages. Follow us to ensure you don’t miss any!
- Learn more. Thirsty for more stormwater knowledge? Visit our What is a Watershed? and Runoff 101 pages.
We are always impressed by what communities can do when working together towards a common goal. Keeping trash out of our waterways is something everyone can do no matter what day it is. We look forward to seeing you at next year’s Coastal and Inner Coastal Clean Up Day and remember, you are the solution to runoff pollution!