How does pet waste effect our water?

FACTS AND FIGURES:
 
PET WASTE 

Did you know that:
· every ounce of pet waste contains over 650 million fecal coliform bacteria?
· the average dog excretes over 4.5 billion fecal coliform bacteria every day?
· At that rate, it would only take one year for 50 dogs to contaminate all the water in Irondequoit Bay?

That can’t be true, right?  If you have a difficult time believing that leaving pet waste on the ground actually causes water quality problems in our creeks, streams, rivers, bays, and Lake Ontario, then you’re not alone.  But, you’re sadly mistaken.  There are scientific studies in which numerous water samples were collected and analyzed using sophisticated DNA techniques to determine the actual source of bacteria (human vs. livestock, vs. pets, vs. native wildlife).  In these studies, it was found that:
· pet waste is the source of 15-20% of the bacteria in our natural waterways.
· livestock typically contributes only one-tenth of that amount, even in watersheds that drain large areas of agriculture land like ours here in the Genesee River Watershed.

Do you still have a difficult time believing?  Consider that:
· our beaches were closed one-third of the time last year due to excessive bacteria levels that likely comes from runoff from our neighborhood areas after heavy rains.

Now do you see how big the problem is?  The good news is that the solution is easy and costs nothing.
 
Q.  So, what’s the right thing to do?
A.  Pick up your dog’s waste in a bag (we use our leftover plastic grocery shopping bags) and throw that in the trash.