Always pick up after your pets, whether on a walk, at a park, or in your own backyard.
Pet waste can contribute to poor water quality and human health issues. In fact, pet waste is one of the leading causes of pollution in urban watersheds. Also, many cities have ordinances making it is unlawful not to pick up pet waste.
The Environmental Protection Agency classifies dog poop as a pollutant, and for good reason. As carnivores, dogs have diets rich in nitrogen and phosphorus. Nitrogen is commonly used as a fertilizer for our plants, but the concentration of nitrogen in dog poop is so great that it can damage plant roots and stunt their growth. If dog poop gets into lakes and rivers, the high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus can also cause algae blooms, which suffocate other aquatic life and make our lakes, streams, and ponds unhealthy and unenjoyable.
Pet waste is also a haven for dangerous pathogens and parasites, including E. coli, Salmonella, Staphylococcus, Giardia, roundworms, and tapeworms, and may contain antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which can spread to humans and are much more difficult to treat.
If left on the ground, pet waste can make its way into storm drains during rainstorms. This water does not go to wastewater treatment facilities for decontamination. Anything that gets into stormwater runoff has a direct path to our waterways, including all those excessive nutrients and nasty pathogens.
Carver County Water Management Organization
