What's the Big Deal with Pet Waste?
July 15, 2009
 What is pollution? When asked to give an example of water pollution, most people think of sewage or spills from oil tankers. There are lots of other sources of pollution not as likely to be reported on. For instance, one form of pollution is pet waste? You might ask, “What’s the big deal about pet waste? It’s natural isn’t it?” Well, there are some things you should know about pet waste.
Pet waste in the form of manure has long been used as a fertilizer. It’s good fertilizer because it contains nutrients that help plants grow. That may be a good thing in your garden, but in streams and in the ocean the added nutrients can create considerable problems. Invasive seaweeds feed on the nutrients and grow out of control across the reefs smothering the coral they grow over.
The extra nutrients can also lead to algae blooms. You may have seen ponds and streams with a thick green carpet of algae on the surface. This extra algae reduces sunlight penetration which is critical to plant and animal survival. The algae breathes in oxygen from the water and harmfully lowers the oxygen levels for other sea creatures.
 Pet waste also contains bacteria that are potentially harmful to animals and humans. One gram of dog waste (which is about the size of an M&M candy) is estimated to contain 23 million fecal coliform bacteria. Coliform bacteria is known to cause intestinal illness and even serious kidney disorders. Now consider how one dog produces much more waste than a gram and multiply that with lots of dogs in Hawaii.
So how does dog waste become ocean pollution? One way is through the storm drain system. Pet waste left in yards and parks and on sidewalks and roads can be carried by rain water into the storm drain system which eventually ends up in the ocean. Storm water in the storm drain system is typically untreated. That’s why it’s so very important to clean up after your pets. So to keep our streams and ocean clean, and for the benefit of our own health, we should all do our part to pick up our pet’s waste.
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