Weld household hazardous waste is also stormwater homework

Old paint, used oil, batteries, and the half-empty jugs of chemicals on a garage shelf feel like a garage problem. They are also a water problem. When these things are handled the wrong way, they do not just stay put in the trash; they can contaminate the stormwater that drains off a property, which is why Weld County steers residents toward its Household Hazardous Waste program for items like old paint, used oil, batteries, fluorescent light bulbs, cleaners, pesticides, herbicides, vehicle fluids, and stains.

The reason is geography. Rain and snowmelt run off a driveway, shed, or trash area and into ditches that feed the South Platte and the smaller waterways crossing the county. A sealed can on a shelf does no harm. A cracked container left outdoors, or the wrong item tossed loose into the bin, can send paint thinner or weed killer straight into that runoff.

The fix is unglamorous and easy. Before a cleanup day, set aside the questionable liquids and chemicals instead of mixing them in with the regular garbage. Take them to the county’s hazardous-waste drop-off, and what would have leached into a ditch instead gets disposed of where it belongs. It is a small bit of sorting that keeps a private mess from becoming a shared one downstream.