Do what on your lawn? Wash your car!

This summer, don’t worry about what your neighbors will say. Just get outside and do it on your lawn.

Wash your car, that is…

All innuendoes aside, the health of the Reedy River is no joke. Like most great cities, Greenville owes much of its success to the natural resources that have drawn people here for centuries. The banks of the Reedy River have seen a transformation that is hard to imagine. As the landscape has changed, so have the sources of pollution. Historically, mills, textile plants, and other industries had a lot to do with the health of the Reedy. Today, however, it’s often down to the accumulation of our individual actions. Something as simple as washing your car on lawn or gravel can stop pollution from flowing into the Reedy. You can visit a site like Lawncare.net if you are worried about damaging the turf on your lawn.

Most soap contains phosphorus, which in abundance, can impair waterways and lead to nutrient pollution. According to the EPA, too many nutrients cause algae to grow faster than ecosystems can handle, harming water quality, habitats, food resources, and decreasing the oxygen that aquatic life needs to survive. These nutrients, together with the dirt and oil washed from cars, can flow into nearby ditches or storm drains that run directly into local rivers, lakes, and streams.

We need a clean Reedy to ensure that the Upstate has a healthy environment, economy, and community! Do it on your lawn for the Reedy.

Washing your car on grass or gravel helps stop pollution from flowing into our waterways.

• Most car washing supplies contain chemicals that harm fish and water quality.
• These chemicals, together with the dirt and oil washed from your car, flow into nearby storm drains which run directly into our waterways.
• Washing your car on the lawn or on gravel will allow the soil to filter out pollutants.