Reducing Pet Waste Pollution
Trash the poo, not our water
Why care about pet waste?
Several creeks in our watershed are impaired for failing to meet federal Clean Water Act standards related to phosphorus and E. coli bacteria.
Too much E. coli in the environment can be a danger to human health and make people sick. Some common sources of E. coli pollution include pet waste, leaky septic systems, and contaminated soils. Rainwater can wash E. coli from these sources into our waterways.
Learn more about the Clean Water Act and Aquatic Impairments.
Pet Waste Station Program
To encourage the pickup of dog waste in targeted areas, CCWD actively supports over 30 pet waste stations. These pet waste stations have been strategically placed along trails and parks adjacent to waterways that are not meeting standards. The purpose of these pet waste stations is to educate members of the community on the importance of picking up after their pet and to provide convenient resources for doing so.
The pet waste stations are serviced weekly by a contracted service provider. Since Fall of 2020, over 75,000 pounds of waste have been collected, which calculates to about 750lbs total phosphorus and 750 billion E. coli organisms that have been kept out of our waters!
Pet waste stations help the Coon Creek Watershed District and the cities of Coon Rapids, Blaine, Spring Lake Park, and Fridley meet Clean Water Act requirements to reduce water pollution in Sand Creek, Pleasure Creek, and Springbrook Creek!
Sponsor a pet waste station
Homeowner associations (HOAs), community groups, municipalities, and others can support pet waste reduction efforts by sponsoring a pet waste station. Priority is given to pet waste stations placed along impaired waterways. Interested in learning more? Contact our Engagement Coordinator. Contact information is listed at the bottom of this page.
Attention Trail Users! We appreciate your feedback on the effectiveness of our Pet Waste Stations in reducing the amount of dog waste you see along trails where we’ve installed the stations. Feedback helps us determine project improvements, project importance for future funding opportunities, and user need for these stations.
Take our survey
Program Contact
Jessica Lindemyer, Engagement Coordinator