Leave a Bag. Take a Bag.

Picking up pet waste helps to improve the quality of local streams, the Middle Patuxent River, and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay. One of the River Hill
Watershed Advisory Committee’s first goals was to work with the Columbia Association (CA) to install pet waste stations in high traffic areas in the community.
In October, CA’s Open Space Management team installed plastic bag receptacles and trash cans in two locations where the density of housing in the community is the greatest (see map).

Managing pet waste is critical to preventing contamination of our waterways. Pet droppings left on the ground wash into rivers, streams, and other water bodies and threaten human health. Pet waste can contain pathogens, such as E. coli and Salmonella, as well as parasitic nematodes such as roundworms. Pet waste also
contains nutrients that promote excessive algae growth in lakes and streams, depriving fish and other aquatic life of oxygen.

So, please make use of the new receptacles and leave a bag or take a bag and help improve the environment!