Did You Drop Something?

by Jennifer Butler

I was once asked by a Wilmington resident why the City was educating citizens to clean up after their pets, because the “deer, raccoons and wild animals don’t have anyone cleaning up after them.” Good question! When the Wilmingtonarea was minimally developed with few impermeable (hard) surfaces and a lot more wild animals roaming around, we still had clean, healthy creeks and waterways. Present day, Wilmington has had an explosion of hard surfaces like roads, parking lots and driveways that transport polluted stormwater runoff straight into our waterways—untreated. In fact, most of our waterways are suffering from fecal coliform bacterial pollution—in large part due to pet owners who don’t clean up after their pets.

Many pet owners are unaware that leaving pet waste on the ground allows harmful bacteria, parasites and nutrients to wash into waterways when it rains—the same waterways we use for swimming, drinking, fishing, boating, kayaking, paddleboarding and surfing. In fact, many of Wilmington’s waterways are now closed to commercial shellfish harvest and some have swimming advisories due to bacterial pollution. These same creeks and waterways are on the State of North Carolina’s 303(d) Impaired List for not meeting water quality standards. This is NOT a list we should be proud to be on!

A 2022 survey of Wilmington residents found that many residents are still not picking up after their pets citing that “it’s too much work,” “it eventually biodegrades,” they “don’t carry a scooper,” they “leave it on the ground as a fertilizer” or “it’s in their own backyard.” Unfortunately, pet waste has the same harmful pollution impacts whether it’s left on a sidewalk, driveway, beach, trail, playground, park or backyard. Stormwater runoff is an expert at transporting dangerous pet waste pathogens into our waterways.

It’s enlightening to consider the problem of pet waste from a simple bacterial standpoint. One gram of pet waste, about the weight of a paperclip, contains nearly 23 million fecal bacteria. Now consider that there are nearly 55,000 dogs in our area generating nearly 41,000 pounds of pet waste every day. If a small percentage of these pet owners aren’t picking up after their pets then you can imagine the negative impacts of this bacteria on our waterways. No one wants to step in a mess of pet waste, either!

The impacts on public health are just as worrisome. Pathogens in pet waste are a health hazard for anyone, but can be especially harmful to children, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems. And yes, these pathogens can even harm your pets, too. So, while you may not actually witness a pile of pet waste floating into the nearest storm drain when it rains, the hazardous cocktail of bacteria, parasites and nutrients is washing directly into your nearby creek. Here’s a sampling of diseases and infections that can be transmitted to humans from uncollected pet waste:

Salmonellosis— Common bacterial infection transmitted to humans by other animals. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, diarrhea, headache, vomiting, abdominal cramps and even death.

Campylobacteriosis— Bacterial infection carried by dogs and cats that causes diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain and fever in humans.

Toxoplasmosis— Parasite carried by cats that can cause birth defects such as developmental disabilities and blindness if a woman becomes infected during pregnancy. This is also a problem for people with suppressed immune systems.

In fact, Wilmington City Code requires pet owners to clean up on any public property, carry a bag or scooper at all times, be able to show it to a Code Enforcement Officer upon request and properly dispose of pet waste in a closed trash receptacle. Leaving bagged waste on the ground is not acceptable. Additionally, pet owners must have a clean-up device on them the moment they set foot on public property. Pet owners should not wait to find a pet waste station, as they are just a courtesy now. Fines are $250 for not complying with the City’s Pet Waste ordinance.

• Fully and immediately clean up after pets on any public property. (Public property consists of streets, sidewalks, right of ways, parks, plazas, stream banks, public accesses, pathways, drainageways, storm drains, creeks, officially accepted easements, etc.)

• Carry a clean-up device (i.e. bag, scooper) at all times and be able to show the clean-up device to a Code Enforcement Official, if asked. Take TWO in case you use one.

• Bag and dispose of pet waste in a closed trash receptacle; it is allowed in the landfill.

• NEVER FLUSH pet waste down the toilet because it is bulkier and creates blockages in the wastewater treatment system that disrupts normal waste treatment processes (Cape Fear Public Utility Authority ordinance).

• Pick up pet waste at your residence to prevent bacteria and nutrients from harming waterways and public health.

• If you hire a pet waste removal service for your yard, be sure the waste is picked up regularly. It’s a really bad idea to leave bacteria-laden pet waste on the ground too long. Apartment management and HOAs should encourage residents to clean up after their pets by adopting/enforcing a pet waste policy. DNA services are an easy way to curb pet waste at apartment complexes.

• Install a pet waste digester on your property; it’s like a mini-septic system for pet waste.

• Bury waste in a hole that is at least 6” deep and away from gardens, wells, ditches, storm drains and waterways.

• Waste from cats and other pets that “use the restroom outdoors” should also be collected. Provide a covered litter box outside, then place the used kitty litter in a bag in the trash.

• NEVER flush pet waste or kitty litter down the toilet (CFPUA ordinance), compost it or dump it in storm drains or ditches.

www.wilmingtonnc.gov/stormwaterregs