FACT SHEET KEEPING OUR WATER SAFE	TWIN & WALKER CREEKS WATERSHED CONSERVATORY	GENERAL MEETING WALKER LAKE CLUBHOUSE
Septic Systems	Shorelines	Car, Home & Yard
Problems Slow draining & backups Wet areas on ground Bright green grass Dense stand of plants on shoreline Sewage Odors Bacteria or nitrates in wells Flow thru into lake Tips Limit water entering drains Limit laundry Use water savers on faucets Repair leaks Don’t let clean water flow into system Don’t plant a garden or build over the mound or field (Systems evaporate up) Pump out every 2 years Know locations Review design records from previous owners Keep these records yourself No sink garbage disposals No grease, fabric softeners, powdered detergents, phosphorous detergents, non-biodegradable paper, lint, strong cleaning agents, chemicals, old medicines, sanitary napkins, disposable diapers, paper towels, special septic tank treatments No trees & shrubs, vehicles nearby Keep drainage water away Check zoning rules	Buffer Benefits Little maintenance Runoff filter Bank stabilization Noise screen Natural look Prevents erosion Removes pollutants Provides habitats Buffer Characteristics 25’ wide is recommended but 15 ‘ is fine Continuous Use native plants No chemicals Unacceptable species Box elder, Garlic mustard, Japanese & Tartarian honeysuckle, Purple loosestrife, Reed canary grass, Common buckthorn, Multiflora rose Common cattail is invasive Check zoning rules	Control car liquids, animal wastes, fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides and plant seed Maximize porous surfaces Know about invasive species (Zebra mussels) Test your soil to use minimum amounts of chemicals Choose appropriate turf grasses Mow high (3”) and leave the clippings Compost and mulch Establish a buffer along a lakeshore Seed or plant bare soil Don’t burn along a lakeshore (too high a nutrient level) Keep ditches clean of leaf litter Use salt sparingly or not at all Direct downspouts away from driveways into lawns Keep pool chlorine out of the lake Wash cars on a porous surface Keep gasoline engines off lakes Don’t move boats or motors between lakes Control your environment Walk, bike when you can Keep lead (bullets & batteries) out of soil and water. Recycle Clean junk from yards and remove Stop drips and leaks Check zoning rules Bother officials Support best management principles Source: Lake Notes, Pennsylvania Association Of Conservation Districts, 1996