PSAP Deployment Group Work

Water Pollution Prevention at Holomua Elementary - Clean Water is Everybody’s Business

Holomua Elementary School is located on Keaunui Drive between Laupai Street and Iroquois Pt. Road in Ewa Beach.

When it rains, water flows over the campus and streets carrying the pollutants it picks up into storm drains. Storm drains are not connected to the wastewater treatment plant. Therefore, the pollutant water flows directly into our streams and ocean.

Holomua Elementary participates in the federal government’s effort to keep our streams and oceans clean and eliminate pollution discharge. We have Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) permit and conduct activities and projects throughout the year to involve and educate people about pollution prevention.

When it rains, pollution such as litter, pesticides and household chemicals eventually end up in the ocean. This effects all of us because water is essential for life here in Hawai'i and we spend a lot of time playing in the ocean or eating seafood from the ocean. As a community, we can work together to make sure that our water resources are protected. We have provided some information about water pollution and things we can do to prevent water pollution.

10 Ways to Prevent Stormwater Runoff Pollution

1. Use fertilizers sparingly and sweep up driveways, sidewalks and gutters
2. Never dump anything down storm drains or in streams
3. Vegetate bare spots in your yard
4. Compost your yard waste
5. Use least toxic pesticides, follow labels and learn how to prevent pest problems
6. Direct downspouts away from paved surfaces; consider a rain garden to capture runoff
7. Take your car to the car wash instead of washing it in the driveway
8. Check your car for leaks and recycle your motor oil
9. Pick up after your pet
10. Have your septic tank pumped and system inspected regularly

Remember: Only rain down the drain!!!

WATER POLLUTION PREVENTION AT Holomua

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP PROTECT WATER
STAFF ACTIVITIES

Use water wisely. By conserving water, the amount of wastewater needing treatment and disposal will be reduced. Overwatering and runoff can carry pollutants into the storm drain system.
Use and dispose hazardous substances properly. Always read the product label and choose the least toxic alternative. Motor oil, paints, solvents and other chemicals should not be poured on the ground or down the storm drains, because they can pollute our streams and ocean. Motor oil is recycled at oil change locations; other chemical products should be first used up by buying only the amount needed; typically unused excess could be evaporated or soaked into clay litter, wrapped in plastic and disposed with trash. Excess pesticides require special handling and must be disposed as hazardous waste.
Use fertilizer and pesticides sparingly. Choose the least toxic alternative such as compost for fertilizer, repellant/resistant plants and instead of bug sprays, use baited traps. Follow label instructions and use only the amount needed. Apply outdoors only during dry weather, rain water can easily carry substances to nearby storm drains and stream.
Landscape the land to prevent erosion. Cover bare ground with grass, shrubs or trees to hold soil in place. Establish native plantings and provide vegetation buffer zones along storm drains and stream.
Improve housekeeping. Fix water leaks throughout campus by replacing faucet washers and toilet flappers as needed.  A slow drip or leak can easily waste more than 100 gallons of water a week.  Put all litter into trash cans so it does not get washed into the storm drains or streams.
Implement annual campus cleanup event. Coordinate cleanup  event  for  the whole campus to collect litter and address any other issues that would impact storm water quality, such as storage of materials and soil erosion areas. Maintain record of litter collected and other changes that impact storm water quality and take before and after photos of campus.

STUDENT ACTIVITIES
Study storm water management. Teachers can address hazards associated with illicit discharges to our storm drains and streams. Develop steps that can be taken to reduce storm water pollution.
Learn about good housekeeping. Good housekeeping practices are simply maintaining a safe, orderly and clean learning environment. Conduct an individual or class project to reinforce pollution prevention activities consistent with protecting storm water.
Learn where your wastewater goes. Investigate the wastewater drainage process from campus to the ocean via streams, storm and sewer drains.

Hour of Code

To introduce our students to computer science, Holomua students participated in the Hour of Code, the largest learning campaign in history. In one hour, students learned that computer science is fun, easy, and accessible at all ages.  During the week of December 6th - 13th, students wrote lines of code in Minecraft, Star Wars, and Angry Birds at code.org. 

Launched in 2013, Code.org is a non-profit dedicated to expanding 

access to computer science, and increasing participation by women and underrepresented students of color. Their vision is that every student in

every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science.

Computing is a fundamental part of daily life, commerce, and just about every occupation in our modern economy. It is essential that students are exposed to the field of computer science in school—as it is foundational in transforming the way a student thinks about the world. It not only teaches them about technology, it also teaches them how to think differently about any problem.

Please visit code.org for more information.  Code.org provides many courses at every level — elementary, middle school and high school — free of charge.