This month you’ll find tips from askHRgreen.org in the national magazine, Women’s Day! Author Catherine Strawn reached out to askHRgreen.org team member Julia Hillegass and other city leaders to put together 4 tips for building hometown pride. We’re thrilled to have this opportunity to share our ideas with the nation!

Click on this post’s image to read our advice and learn about a “two-minute do-gooder” action you can complete today.

This past weekend was the 3rd annual celebration of the Lafayette RIVERFest, and it was a huge success with over 3,000 visitors, activity booths, the Learning Barge, music, food and more! In case you missed the event, you can check out this video from festival attendee Lizzy B. askHRgreen.org even has a cameo! For more information about the festival, visit www.elizabethriver.org/lafayetteriverfest.

Ever have a moment when the light bulb goes off over your head? Well, mine came in the form of “practice what you preach.” Let me tell you a little story about my epiphany with bottled water. A few months ago, we started a weight loss challenge at work. One of my goals was to stop drinking soda and start drinking more water. So, I went to the store and stocked up on cases upon cases of bottled water.

My first epiphany happened when I realized how much I was spending on bottled water. Then I noticed I was getting buried under a mountain of empty plastic bottles and to make it worse, I was not making sure they all made it into the recycling bin…another epiphany. After my light bulb went off, I grabbed my handy reusable water bottle and started filling it with tap water immediately. Needless to say, I have since saved time, money and lots of trash bags. A reusable water bottle is really the way to go. It’s amazing how easily we take for granted the value of tap water. It’s not just good for your health, it’s good for your wallet and our environment, too!

Speaking of reusable water bottles…when you’re on the go, there are local businesses in the Hampton Roads area that participate in a program called TapIt where they will refill your reusable water bottle free of charge. You can visit askhrgreen.org/TapIt for more information. If you own a local cafe or eatery, or know someone who does, click here to learn how easy it is to become a TapIt partner.

Anyone remember the DARE programs from back in elementary school?  Drug Abuse Resistance Education.  Maybe it was just a 90’s thing, but I can practically sing the song for you.  “DARE!  To keep the kids off druuuuugs!”  

Sorry, I digress.

What I’m getting at is that it seems we need a new program for another victim of the drug war: fish.

A recent study found that even tiny traces of drugs in our waterways can mess with the “natural balance” of fish.  For example, the study looked at wild European perch in an aquarium that were exposed to small amounts of an anti-anxiety drug.  The fish changed after the exposure to the drug: they moved more, fed more aggressively and, basically, weren’t as scared.  Sounds like no big deal, but in fact, even the smallest of unnatural behavioral changes can affect breeding and make them more vulnerable to predators. 

Believe it or not, medications get into our waterways through treated wastewater because treatment plants just aren’t designed for their removal.  That means flushing old medications down the toilet or washing them down the drain will send these substances to the fishies after a quick stop at the treatment plant.  They can also pose a public harm when haphazardously thrown in the garbage (drug abusers and animals can get to them). 

There are a few options for proper disposal.  This Saturday, April 27, is the 6^th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  There are locations all around Hampton Roads – visit this website to find a location near you.   If you miss this event, you can also ask your local pharmacy if they participate in a take back program.

If these aren’t options, askHRgreen.org suggests you dispose of medications by crushing or dissolving it in water and mixing it with kitty litter, sawdust or something that would make it undesirable for human or animal consumption.  Then put the destroyed substance back into the original bottle, making sure to mark out any personal information.  Leave it labeled with the name of the medication in the event it’s accidentally or intentionally swallowed and needs to be identified.  Then, dispose of it with your regular garbage.

As the weather in Hampton Roads warms up and we begin to stretch our green thumbs, don’t forget to include your private sewer lateral and water line connection in your landscape plan. Since they are buried below ground most of the time it’s “out of sight, out of mind” but a little planning ahead can save you a lot of money later.

Before planting new trees or shrubs, locate your sanitary sewer cleanout and sanitary sewer lateral. Avoid planting any trees or shrubs directly over your lateral and, if you can, provide a clear zone on either side. Roots see a sanitary sewer lateral as a highly nutritious water source and will find their way inside it causing blockages and backups while growing.  Most people do not realize that once passed the sanitary sewer cleanout or meter box, they are the owners of the sanitary sewer lateral and water line and as the owner they are responsible for all maintenance and repairs, even at two o’clock in the morning when your sewer is backing up!  Talk to your local landscape expert to identify trees and shrubs with less evasive root systems and plant them away from your sanitary sewer lateral to help avoid future problems.

Your sanitary sewer cleanout and water meter box also need to be accessible to your local water and sewer utility worker; this helps when they need to provide maintenance or repairs. They are usually located near the right of way along your front property line; don’t bury them or place plantings to cover them. Knowing where your utility connections are can help you be better prepared in case of a back-up or break and helps you take preventative steps to avoid costly repairs in the future.

This article was contributed by Katherine Nixon, P.E.  from the City of Virginia Beach Department of Public Utilities.