Richardson, TX
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Encouraging involvement in events and programs that promote environmental stewardship.
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Make Mulch, Not Trash
Mulching and composting provide nutrients needed for a healthy lawn. You'll save time and money by reducing fertilizer use in your yard and not need to buy bags to dispose of the trimmings.
Grass clippings can be left on your lawn—they'll break down quickly. Leaves can be shredded (with a mulching lawnmower or your regular lawnmower) and mulched. If you have a compost pile or bin, grass and leaves can be added to help your whole garden. Learn More
Trash Bash
This popular yearly event brings interested neighborhood groups, civic organizations, and individuals together to de-litter areas of Richardson. The groups meet at their designated area the morning of the event and begin cleaning. At 11:00, the groups meet at City Hall for the after-cleanup festivities. Lunch is provided and participates can take part in door prizes, a jazz band, exhibitors and a children's area.
Community & Corporate Environmental Cleanup Program
Businesses, organizations and other groups can help keep Richardson clean through the Health Department’s Corporate Environmental Cleanup Program. Parties can clean up an area near their office/school/neighborhood, or the Health Department can recommend an area where windblown and waterborne trash tends to accumulate. The Department can supply trash and recycling bags, vinyl gloves, and trash tongs free of charge. Filled trash bags can be left in one pile at the clean-up site and a city crew will pick them up. Learn More
For more information on scheduling a clean-up, contact the Health Department at 972-744-4080.
Cease the Grease
Fats...Oils...Grease. The residue left over from cooking meats such as bacon that hardens after it cools, can cause problems when poured down the drain and clog pipes in your home. Did you know FOG can also clog the sewer pipes under the streets that take the wastewater from your house to the treatment plant? Learn More
Water Pollution Prevention Educational Program
The objective of this lesson, developed by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, is for students to be able to understand the various factors that can cause water pollution. In addition, they will be able to see how pollution affects water quality and aquatic life. Learn More
Do Not Flush List
Some paper products are advertised as ‘flushable’ but they won’t decompose … they get caught up in wastewater pipes, pumps and screens—and that costs money to clear and repair! Please help protect the wastewater system and our environment. Remember, only toilet paper down the toilet! View List
Storm Drain Marking Program
The City of Richardson, as part of a regional effort of more than 30 Metroplex communities, is putting out a message in the form of a round plastic marker placed next to storm drain inlets on the streets in your neighborhood. The marker, which states “This Drain for Rain, Flows to Creek, Don’t Dump” is a reminder to everyone that nonpoint source pollution will end up in our waterways if allowed to enter the storm sewers. Unlike our home’s sanitary sewers, the storm drains discharge directly to the city waterways, without treatment.
Learn More
Household Hazardous Waste
15 percent of the materials Americans throw away each year can be classified as HAZARDOUS. These materials include products used in homes every day, but can pose a danger to plants, animals and people. Hazardous products can be solid, liquid or gaseous and will have certain signal words on the label. Learn More
Drain/Backwash Pools Legally
OK, so maybe you never find a car in your pool but you still have disinfectants and stabilizers that can be very harmful to the critters that live and swim in our creeks. Even water from a pool that has not been treated recently or is stagnant can negatively impact the sensitive balance of an aquatic ecosystem already stressed by drought or other urban pollutants (like fertilizers, leaks from our cars, pet waste). The following guidelines are provided to help pool owners and operators prevent water pollution and protect the watershed they live in. Learn More
Water Quality Report
The City of Richardson employs a water quality technician who facilitates water sampling to meet standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and Texas Water Development Board (TWDB). These standards require taking daily chlorine residual samples in each pumping zone, 100 bacteriological samples monthly, pH and THM/HAA5 samples quarterly, Nitrite/Nitrate samples annually, Triennial Lead and Copper samples, and special bacteriological samples for new construction lines. The water quality technician must complete water quality reports to maintain compliance. Learn More
972-744-0908 | Lindsay.Turman@cor.gov