PORTLAND, Maine -- Dog droppings disposed of in Portland's sewage system could garner a negligent dog owner a $250 fine.

Luke Delponte, of Portland, knows that owning a dog in the city comes with added responsibility to carry plastic bags whenever he and his dog, Tucker, go for a walk, reported WMTW-TV in Portland.

"Typically, I pick it up and throw it in our trash disposal in the apartment complex. I go in through the basement rather than the front door," Delponte said.

But not all dog owners are as responsible about where they dispose of the potent plastic bags.

"Unfortunately, people are taking the easy route and putting poop into catch basins and storm drains; those are access points along road curbs," said John Emerson, the city's wastewater coordinator.

Sewage overflow sites littered with the remnants eventually float to the Casco Bay.

"There's aesthetic problems, public health problems with it and the plastic is an aesthetic problem as well," Emerson said.

The situation is costing Portland taxpayers $225,000 a year just to have city workers clean out contaminated storm drains.

There are roughly 6,000 of these catch basins around the city. Many people assume that all the water flows through sewage treatment plants, but that's not the case, the television station reported. About half of the drains flow directly into local bodies of water.

"Our goal is to be better stewards of the watersheds, whether it's a brook, a river or a larger estuary such as Casco Bay," said Doug Roncarti, a public works engineer.

So, they're reminding dog owners that doo-doo dumping is not OK.

"It is illegal on a local, state and federal level," Roncarti said.

Dog owners who fail to properly clean up after a dog could face a $250 fine. Those who cannot pay face community service to clean up after dogs.