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You Can Now Drop Off Your Latex Paint at
the Household Pollution Collection Facility
The Household Pollutant Collection Facility is now accepting latex paint. This change has been years in the making and is a disposal option which customers have been requesting since the facility opened in 2016.
Anticipating that this waste stream will be very popular with customers, the facility has increased its staff and disposal capacity accordingly.
As with other new or lightly used products, latex paint may be available in the Swap Shop for customers to pick up for free. Swap Shop customers are limited to taking five items at a time. The Household Pollutant Collection Facility is open for residential customers but not commercial wastes and businesses.
To drop off pollutants, it is necessary to make an appointment by calling (918) 591-4325. The facility is open Wednesday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tulsa residents may dispose of pollutants free at the facility.
The Household Pollutant Collection Facility is located at 4502 S. Galveston Ave., near Interstate 44 and the Arkansas River. Learn more about accepted and non-accepted items online or call (918) 591-4325.
The Household Pollutant Collection Facility also is open to surrounding communities; these residents should contact the Metropolitan Environmental Trust (M.e.t.) for details, (918) 584-0584.
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Species Spotlight:
Mosquitofish Gambusia affinis
Mosquitofish are small fish that can be found in many streams within the city of Tulsa. The name "mosquitofish" comes from their diet, which can consist of large numbers of mosquito larvae. For that reason, mosquitofish were introduced all over the world to control mosquito populations. They also feed on zooplankton and other small invertebrate prey.
Although mosquitofish are beneficial for mosquito population control, they have been found to negatively affect populations of small fish through predation and competition. Despite their size, mosquitofish are very aggressive, even toward larger fish.
Mosquitofish are usually found in shallow water that offers protection from larger fish. Because they adapt to survive in relatively inhospitable environments for fish, mosquitofish generally are indicators of poorer water quality. They are resilient to low oxygen concentrations, high salt concentrations, and high temperatures for short periods of time. Adaptability to harsh conditions and global introduction into many habitats for mosquito control have led to mosquitofish being described as the most widespread freshwater fish in the world.
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Best Management Practices
for Car Washing
It's extremely important for all of us to keep Tulsa's environment healthy by ensuring that the water flowing into our storm drains is clean. Allowing substances such as motor oil, antifreeze, or even soap to flow into storm drains will pollute water that flows to local waterways.
Commercial car-wash businesses and car lots are subject to the Oklahoma Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit issued by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality. However, residential and charity car-wash events generating wastewater are currently exempt from the pollution ordinance. Even though these individuals are exempt, it is best if they follow the guidelines below to help protect Tulsa's environment from pollutants.
- Wash your car directly over your lawn or make sure the water drains to a vegetated area.
- Ideally, no soaps or detergents should be used, but if you do use one, select one without phosphates.
- Sweep driveways and street gutters before washing your vehicle to remove dirt, leaves, trash or other materials that may flow into the storm drain along with your wash-water.
- Never wash the motor or under-hood area of your vehicle and allow that wastewater to drain into the storm-sewer system.
If unused car-cleaning chemicals are left over, disposing of them correctly is imperative. It is a violation of city ordinances to dispose of chemicals down the storm sewer system. Please call (918) 591-4325 to schedule a free appointment to drop off chemicals at Tulsa's Household Pollutant Collection Facility.
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Preventing Erosion
During Construction
Installation of erosion control measures is required prior to any construction activity within the city of Tulsa that requires a City permit. This includes any clearing, grubbing or dirt disturbing activities. These measures are called preconstruction erosion controls (PCEC). Construction sites that fail to comply with this requirement are in violation of Title 11-A, Chapter 5 (Pollution Ordinance). A violation of this chapter could result in fines of up to $1,000 per day.
The City of Tulsa is mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency to control the discharge of pollutants from construction sites within Tulsa. Although this is not a new requirement, several instances have occurred recently in Tulsa when work has begun on a construction site without these measures in place.
City of Tulsa Stormwater Quality staff will be at the Home Builders Association's monthly meetings in July to answer any questions regarding this issue. If you see sediment tracked or washed off a construction site, contact the City of Tulsa at 311.
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Education Spotlight:
Annual Creek Cleanup
As we continue our efforts to reach the citizens of Tulsa through education and outreach, we are always looking for new opportunities to connect with an expanded audience. Our winter schedule included events such as After School Education Program, Tulsa Home & Garden Show, Education at Gathering Place, Tulsa Pet Health & Wellness Fair, Enviro-Expo, Household Pollutant Collection Event, Earth Day at the University of Tulsa, Tulsa Irish Festival and our Annual Creek Cleanup.
On May 4, we partnered with the Tulsa Zoo for our 25th Annual Creek Cleanup. We had 22 volunteers take part in this event, which included breakfast, lunch, educational presentations and picking up trash from Coal Creek. It was a fun day that ended with prizes for both the most trash and the most unusual trash. Our goal with the event is not only to educate citizens about the effects of storm drain pollution, but also to encourage them to adopt a watershed where they live and help us Save Our Streams! We are very thankful for those who participated, as well as for the following organizations that helped make this possible: Tulsa County Conservation District, Blue Thumb, Tulsa Zoo, Quik Trip, and Pepsi.
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Adopt-A-Stream: Crow Creek Watershed Sign Dedication
Members of the Crow Creek community dedicated a new sign in the Crow Creek meadow on May 10.
The goal of this event was to provide information to local community members about native plants, rain gardens, riparian areas and ways to have an "earth friendly" lawn. We are thankful for the efforts of the Crow Creek community and would like to see more groups like this throughout Tulsa adopting watersheds.
If you have any questions about how to adopt a stream, send an email to Community Involvement Coordinator Dustin Jaggers at [email protected].
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Copyright © City of Tulsa. All Rights Reserved.
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