Whether it’s every 3,000 miles or every 3 months, most people change their motor oil on a regular basis. Although oil is a necessity for our cars, it can be extremely harmful to our water quality and our environment. There are a number of things that you can do to help prevent oil pollution to our water.

• If you change your own oil, get a reusable used oil container. Drain the oil carefully into the container, avoiding splatter and spills.
• Recycle used motor oil at a local household hazardous waste collection center.
• Request re-refined motor oil when you get your oil changed. Re-refined motor oil must meet the same American Petroleum Institute (API) certification standards as virgin motor oil.
• Leaky cars are a big source of oil pollution and other automotive fluids. Have your car checked for any leaking fluids that might run-off into storm drains.
• Recycle and re-use oil filters. Recycling 1 ton of drained oil filters produces 1,700 pounds of steel and recovers about 60 gallons of used oil.

By following these suggestions, we can all help to preserve the quality of our drinking water and the beauty of Liberty’s streams.

For more information about water quality issues, please contact the Engineering Division at 816-439-4500.