Green Santa Clarita, part of the City of Santa Clarita, is asking the community to limit their amount of ant spray chemicals this coming summer.

Problems with excessive amounts of pesticides being washed down the street, into gutters, and into storm drains, then draining into the Santa Clara River has prompted the City to release tips on how to sparingly and safely use ant sprays.

Overwatering with sprinklers and even rain picks up these harmful chemicals, and washes it away without it doing its job. These pesticides cause water pollution that could affect the local groundwater from the Santa Clara River.

The city asks to use the following tips to safely use the chemicals:

Read the label and follow the directions.
More is not better. Use pesticides sparingly. “Spot” apply, rather than cover entire areas.
Avoid applying chemicals when there is rain predicted in the next couple days.
Do not apply pesticide where it can be washed away by sprinkler runoff. Also, make sure your sprinkler system is turned off for a few days following treatment to avoid runoff of polluted water into the storm drain.
Never dispose of unwanted pesticide into the street, gutter, or storm drain. This is called illegal dumping. Instead, take it to the next Household Hazardous Waste Roundup or a S.A.F.E. Collection Center such as the one located at 11025 Randall Street, Sun Valley, Ca.

For more information, visit The Green Santa Clarita Valley website at www.greensantaclarita.com.