Help Keep Our Environment Clean

Reporting Illegal Pumping, Dumping or direct connection to a drain or waterway to the Nassau County Illicit Discharge Hotline (516) 571-7535 

Cleaning Up After Your Pet
Pet waste contains harmful bacteria and organisms that can spread disease. Pick up pet waste; seal it in a plastic bag, and dispose of it in trash cans.  Don't hose waste into storm drains. Drains are a direct conduit to our waterways and beaches. Help keep our neighborhood, beaches, and waterways healthy and clean.

Not Feeding Geese and Ducks
While we all love our "feathered friends", feeding them interrupts the natural migratory cycle.  Birds that would normally migrate south in the winter to find food, take up residence if food is "artificially" provided.  Further, these resident birds attract migrating birds that in turn will stay if food is present.  The result of artificial waterfowl feeding can be large flocks of resident birds that create a nuisance in our parks, athletic fields, golf courses and lawns, and place an extra pollution load on our waterways.  Once feeding is discontinued, geese will disperse and revert to higher quality natural foods.  Geese that depend on human handouts are also less likely to migrate when severe winter weather arrives, and are more vulnerable to disease.

Properly Disposing of Household Chemicals
Household chemicals, gasoline, oil, pesticides, antifreeze, paint, etc. should be taken to the Town of North Hempstead's S.T.O.P collection sites and not flushed down the faucet, toilet, or storm drain.  Overflowing septic systems can pollute our waterways.

Properly Using Fertilizing & Pesticides on Your Lawn & Garden
If you think you must use heavy amounts of pesticides to grow a beautiful lawn, think again. A bright green, weed-free lawn can be yours by following these simple steps:

• Mow your lawn only as needed. If the grass has gotten too tall, don't mow it down all at one time. Mow gradually, cutting no more than an inch off with the first mowing. Allow the lawn to recover for a day or two, and then trim another inch. Continue cutting an inch at a time until you reach the desired height.  

• Water wisely. Don't water on a timer. Some grasses need more water than others, so figure out what kind of grass you have before you decide to water it frequently. When you do water, soak the grass through to the roots, not just the top of the blades.  

• Use slow-release, organic fertilizers. Most lawn and garden centers now offer several organic fertilizers along with the more standard varieties.

• Keep all toxic materials in a locked cabinet or garden shed.
  If you must continue to use pesticides on a limited basis, be sure to remove children and their toys as well as pets from any area where the chemicals are being stored or used.

Separating Your Recyclables & Putting Them Out on the Designated Day
It is important to recycle paper, plastics, glass and metals.  Reusing these material and keeping them out of our environment is one way to keep our waters clean.  Please help by separating paper, glass, plastics and metals and putting them out on the designated day or the night before.

Disposing of Your Garbage Properly
Garbage should be kept in containers with lids that are animal proof.  Open containers or plastic garbage bags provide an inviting target for raccoons and other wildlife.  We can keep our garbage from being strewn about the neighborhood and ending up in our waterways by using the right containers. 

Disposing of Your Household Hazardous Wastes at a Town Site
The S.T.O.P. (Stop Throwing Out Pollutants) program offers residents of the Town of North Hempstead the opportunity to dispose of their household hazardous waste in an environmentally friendly manner. Many people do not realize that ordinary household products, such as aerosols and cleaners, can be corrosive, explosive, or toxic if mixed indiscriminately with regular household garbage.

The Town of North Hempstead's S.T.O.P. collection and motor oil recycling programs are available to all Village residents.  I urge all residents to take advantage of both programs.

Under the S.T.O.P. program, the Town will accept for disposal chemicals such as pesticides, aerosol cans, household cleaners and used motor oil.  For more information call the Town recycling Hotline: (516) 767- 4600

So Pitch In
We can all work together to keep our Village beautiful and our waterways clean. Please take our EFFECTIVENESS SURVEY and let us know how we are doing in raising awareness.

What is an illicit discharge? An illicit discharge is any discharge to the storm drain system that is not composed entirely of rainwater or groundwater. Please click here for more information.