On June 21, 2016 the Lexington Blowfish invited fans to bring their four-legged friends to cheer, and “woof,” the Blowfish on to victory when they played Wilson Tobs. At this Bark in the Park event, the Lexington County Public Works Stormwater Division set up a display staffed by members of the Lexington Countywide Stormwater Consortium (LCSC) to present the Trash the Poop program. Dog owners who attended the game had a chance to win a membership to the Town of Lexington’s Paw Park and/or a Doggie Dooley pet-septic system. A demonstration of how to properly bag and dispose of dog waste was presented, and each dog owner was given a free bag holder to attach to their dog’s leash to use to “Trash the Poop” when walking the dog.
The Lexington County Public Works Director was on hand to throw out the first pitch, and Lexington County Stormwater Manager, Sheri Armstrong, addressed the fans through the public address system at the stadium on the importance of trashing your pet’s waste.
A program that provides free pet waste stations to neighborhoods or organizations was also presented. The waste stations dispense plastic bags for dog walkers to use to collect their dog’s waste. The only requirements for a neighborhood, business or organization to receive a station are to provide a trash receptacle at or near their waste station, empty it frequently and restock the station with plastic bags.
Why is pet waste a concern? When stormwater washes into storm drains, it flows directly into streams, lakes and rivers. It is not treated at a wastewater treatment plant. These waterways can become contaminated with fecal matter from dogs. In order to keep our waterways fecal-matter free, all dog owners should trash the poop!
For information on speakers, workshops, and events of the Lexington Countywide Stormwater Consortium, visit www.LCSWC.com.
