Landscape Services

Some common pollutants from the landscape services industry include:

Fertilizers and pesticides
Dirt and soil
Grass clippings

Runoff (stormwater and non-stormwater) from the landscape services industry can be a major source of these pollutants, and once released, these harmful pollutants can be transported to our Orange County rivers, creeks, and the ocean.

Here are tips for the landscape services industry to help keep our waterways clean:

Sweep

Lawn clippings and trimmings gathered by brooms, rakes, or leaf blowers should be disposed of in the green waste container, never in the gutter or storm drain.

Pesticides Use

Use pesticides and fertilizers only as directed. Do not over-apply these chemicals and never use pesticides or fertilizers when rain is predicted within 48-hours

Use drip irrigation or hand water

Use drip irrigation or hand water with a spray nozzle on the hose to prevent overwatering and water runoff from carrying pollutants into the storm drain

Proper Landscape Maintenance

For proper landscape maintenance, make sure to closely follow label directions for the use and disposal of fertilizers and pesticides

Spills

Make sure to sweep up dry spills and use cat litter, towels, or similar materials to absorb wet spills. Dispose of all materials directly into the trash

Don’t Dump Toxic Substances

Keep toxic substances and liquid waste off the pavement, ground, or near a storm drain. Even materials that seem harmless such as latex paint or biodegradable cleaners can damage the environment

Practice BMPs related to the landscape services industry in the BMP Fact Sheets here.

Find additional BMP Fact Sheets here. Once on the BMP Fact Sheet website, use the left menu to navigate between the different BMP Fact Sheet categories available.

Also, visit our Low Impact Development for Businesses page and check out our applicable brochure below:

Tips for Residential Pool, Landscape, and Hardscape Drains (Spanish)