Education and Public Involvement
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Managing stormwater and enhancing public safety and health not only involves monitoring and inspecting, but it also involves educating citizens on how stormwater affects them and how they affect stormwater. RCSH2O staff participates in a variety of outreach events annually including festivals, career days, homeowner’s meetings, and workshops. Staff members also use inspection and monitoring reports to develop custom outreach efforts for a specific need.
If you’re interested in an education or outreach event with RCSH2O, please contact the Education Program Coordinator.
Drains Aren't Dumps
The name says it all! Storm drains lead to our local waterways and anything other than rain that goes into a storm drain is considered an illicit discharge and could flow into the nearest creek, stream, pond, or lake. Those waterways eventually flow into the river, which is our drinking water source. Illicit discharges and illegal dumping impair water quality. If you see anything other than rain go into a storm drain, resport ir to the Ombudsman’s office by calling 803-929-6000.
Richland County and City of Columbia work together to encourage citizens to place storm drain markers on storm drains in their neighborhoods. These markers are a “friendly reminder” to citizens that stormwater drains to the river and only rain should go into storm drains. Click here to visit the My River Starts Here website and sign up to mark storm drains in your neighborhood.
Trash the Poop
Leaving dog waste on the ground can cause more than messy shoes and dirty looks from your neighbors. It also has a negative impact when rain washes it into our waterways and becomes harmful to your health and your pet’s health, too! Pet waste contains three times more bacteria than human waste. When it rains, residue and bacteria from the waste is washed into our local waterways where it can cause diseases in humans and animals. Richland County offers free pet waste stations for neighborhoods who enroll in the Trash the Poop program. For more information visit www.trashthepoop.com.
Joinr Richland County, City of Columbia, and Lexington County staff at the Trash the Poop Wag Along Wednesday Columbia Fireflies baseball games for fun activities and free giveaways.
Tessa's Tale
Tessa’s Tale is a workbook that tells the story of Tessa, a rainbow trout, and how her habitat is affected by human activity. It covers the chemical, physical and biological components of water quality in an interactive way. Designed for water quality field studies for students in grades 3-8, but is easily adaptable for higher grade levels, Tessa’s Tale meets NGSS standards and includes easy-to-follow instructions that combine story telling with data collection for a cross-curriculum resource for educators. Click here to download a free electronic version of the workbook.