Environmental Health & Safety

Header Image of UCR Clean Water in bold white text

What is UCR Clean Water?

UCR Clean Water is a program under UCR Environmental Health and Safety department's stormwater management program. The aim of UCR Clean Water is to create a greener and healthy campus by promoting the use of reusable cups and bottles, practicing proper trash disposal, and informing the campus of water quality topics.

Pet Waste

Abandoned pet waste is a community concern. Pet waste can carry dangerous diseases into local creeks, rivers, lakes, 
and the ocean.

  • Always carry a plastic bag to pick up pet waste when walking your dog.
  • Properly dispose pet waste in a 
    toilet or trash receptacle every time.
  • Tell a friend!

Trash

The presence of trash in surface waters, especially coastal and marine waters, is a serious issue in California.

  • The main way trash on land ends up in waterways is by rainstorms that wash it into storm drains.
  • Trash is items such as cigarette butts, paper, fast food containers, plastic grocery bags, and cans and bottles.
  • Trash is a threat to aquatic habitat and aquatic life as soon as it enters surface waters and ocean waters.Ingestion and entanglement can be fatal for freshwater, estuarine, and marine life.
  • Similarly, habitat alteration and degradation due to trash in surface waters can make natural habitats unsuitable for spawning, migration, and preservation of aquatic life.

Learn about what illicit discharges are in the following short 10 min video:

To report any illicit discharges on campus please contact us at:

Email: ucrcleanwater@ucr.edu

Phone: (951)827-5528

UCR Clean Water Bottle Mascot picking up pet waste

 

Follow the journey of R'Water with our info graphic images!

Image of storm drains on the left and right with middle text reading in bullets with first bullet reading "Stormwater collects in storm drains from rain or snow melt" and the second bullet reading "Over 1,600 miles of storm drain infrastructure in Santa Ana watershed"

 

Image of a storm drain on the left side with bulleted text on the right with two bullets first reading "Stormwater drainage system and the sewage system are not the same" second bullet reading "Water that flows down driveways and streets goes directly to nearby creeks, fish and wildlife habitats, and to drinking water supplies"

 

Image titled Santa Ana Water Shed of a wetland with a white crane on the right and bulleted information on the left side with the first bullet reading "Home to largest wetland in Southern California, the Prado Basin" and the second bullet reading "Many plant and animal species live there, including thousands of birds each year"

 

Image of the Santa Ana Water Basin on the left side with bulleted information on the right side with the first bullet point reading "Largest watershed in Southern California" and the second bullet reading "2650 square miles" with the third bullet point reading "Over 700 miles of river"

 

Image titled water quality with picture of flowing water to the left side and 3 bullets of information to the right with the first bullet reading "The Santa Ana watershed is home to over 6 million residents" and the second reading "Groundwater is the main local source of drinking water" and with the third reading "Trash, pet waste, and debris affect water quality"

 

Image titled Water quality with water pump picture to the right side with three bulleted information to the left with the first bullet reading "22,000 drinking water quality tests are performed each year by Riverside Public Utilities" the second bullet reading "$586,310 was spent in 2022 on these tests for drinking water quality compliance" and the third reading "Check out the 2022 RPU Drinking Water Quality Report at http:/ /riversidepublicutilities.com/war"

 

Further information about the Santa Ana Watershed in the video below 

(19 min video):

UCR Clean water mascot drinking from water bottle

 Been meaning to get a reusable water bottle but overwhelmed with the many options out there. Well look no further! Our instagram post has great information on the types of reusable water bottles out there and which ones are best suited for your needs. Check it out here!

UCR Clean Water Bottle Mascot holding water bottle

Take the pledge below to choose metal over plastic!

 

 

 

UCR Clean Water Bottle Mascot

 

 

 

Additional Resources

riverside public utilities insignia
Riverside Water Quality Report
recycling image
Recycling
Recycling Number Image
Types of Plastic