Initiated by BASMAA in 1998, Our Water Our World (OWOW) is an award-winning partnership between city- and county-based water pollution prevention agencies and the home and garden centers, hardware stores, and nurseries that sell pest control products. The partnership encourages less-toxic methods of pest prevention and control by means of a point-of-sale education program for store employees and customers. The partnership is focused on less-toxic, eco-friendly products and techniques because many common pesticides are harmful to sensitive species and ecosystems when they reach local creeks, bays, and the ocean. Elements include fact sheets for managing common pests, lists of less-toxic pesticides, participating store locator, and store displays that provide additional information and direct customers to less-toxic products on the shelf.
With the interest in the OWOW Program continuing to expand over the years to stormwater programs and retailers beyond the San Francisco Bay Area, the need to manage the program on a larger scale grew. In 2022, that opportunity came to fruition when the California Stormwater Quality Association (CASQA) agreed to take over the program and offer it statewide! See links below for more information on the Our Water Our World Program.
Visit the Our Water Our World website
CASQA Our Water Our World Program Membership and Ordering OWOW Printed Materials