Mayor Anita Dugatto

 

        Mayor  Anita  Dugatto   City  of  Derby,  Connecticut  

 

PRESS  RELEASE      

Contact:    Jennifer  Desroches,  Mayor’s  Office  (203)  736-­‐1450   April  15,  2015  

 

DERBY  MAYOR  ENCOURAGES  RESIDENTS  TO   MAKE  THE  RIVER  SMART  PLEDGE  

DERBY  –  Derby  is  graced  with  many  natural  attractions  such  as  Osbornedale  State  Park,  Witek  Memorial   Park,  and  the  Housatonic  and  Naugatuck  Rivers.    Not  only  do  these  attractions  provide  a  beautiful   landscape,  they  give  Derby  residents  and  visitors  many  opportunities  to  enjoy  nature  through  activities   such  as  fishing,  kayaking,  hiking,  bird  watching,  and  picnicking.         Safe,  clean  water  is  vital  to  the  continued  enjoyment  of  these  attractions  and  to  the  survival  of  the  plants   and  animals  that  live  there.     This  Earth  Day  Mayor  Dugatto  is  asking  Derby  residents,  in  partnership  with  Housatonic  Valley   Association,  to  join  her  in  making  the  River  Smart  Pledge  to  protect  the  water  quality  of  Derby’s  natural   resources.    The  River  Smart  Pledge  can  be  completed  online  at  www.riversmartct.org.    Paper  copies  of   the  Pledge  are  available  at  Derby  City  Hall,  Derby  Senior  Center,  Derby  Public  Library,  and  Derby  Neck   Library.         “Not  only  am  I  asking  Derby  residents  to  make  the  Pledge,  I  am  challenging  them  to  encourage  their   family,  friends,  and  neighbors  to  do  the  same.    Water  quality  is  important  to  every  community,”  Dugatto   said.     Years  ago,  most  water  pollution  was  caused  by  industry.    Today,  much  of  it  is  caused  by  polluted  runoff.     When  rain  falls  or  ice  or  snow  melt,  it  flows  down  city  streets  and  parking  lots  into  stormdrains,  picking   up  pollutants  such  as  fertilizers,  automotive  fluids,  pesticides,  litter,  and  pet  waste  along  the  way.    The   stormdrains  then  transport  that  water,  clean  or  not,  to  nearby  streams,  ponds  and  rivers,  and  ultimately   to  Long  Island  Sound.       “To  maintain  the  health,  safety,  and  beauty  of  our  waterways  for  years  to  come,  we  must  do  our  best  to   minimize  the  pollutants  flowing  into  stormdrains.    Making  the  River  Smart  Pledge  is  one  step  toward   that  goal,”  Dugatto  said.     For  more  information  on  how  to  keep  Derby’s  waterways  clean,     please  visit  www.derbyct.gov.