Home Mechanics
Here in Northern Virginia, we love to jump in our well-oiled cars and drive to the river or the lake for a fun day with friends and family! We can keep doing that if home mechanics dispose of their used motor oil, oil filters, and antifreeze properly by recycling them at a service station or at a local municipal collection site.
 Families enjoy their days on the water... |
A Little Oil Can Do a Lot of DamageIt may not seem like much, but just a little bit of motor oil can pollute a lot of water. In fact, just two or three quarts can contaminate enough creek water to fill an Olympic swimming pool. That’s why you have to pay a big fine if you get caught dumping oil down a storm drain! |
 ...so do your part to keep motor oil out of storm drains. |
Little by Little, it Adds Up!The Clean Water Partners estimate that there are more than 200,000 “shade tree” mechanics in Northern Virginia. At 4 quarts per oil change, and three oil changes per year, that’s 85 full-sized tanker trucks full of pollution that they have to dispose of.What would our local waterways look like if every do-it-yourselfer dumped their oil down a storm drain? |
 For peace of mind, take your used oil to a convenient recycling station and let them take care of it. |
Do Your Part. They’re Doing Theirs.According to polls conducted by the Clean Water Partners, most shade tree mechanics do dispose of their oil properly — and that number grows each year. What would they say about you if they saw you dumping that oil down a storm drain? And how would you explain to your lady companion why you had to use your date night money to pay a fine for something like that? Learn More!What should you do if you see someone dumping motor oil down the storm drain?! Call your local police non-emergency phone number. For other helpful information from your local government, click the appropriate link below: Alexandria |