The Importance of Stormwater Management
Storm water runoff from lands modified by human activities can harm surface water and, in turn, cause or contribute to poor water quality by changing natural hydrologic patterns, accelerating natural stream flows, destroying aquatic habitat, and elevating pollutant concentrations and loadings.
Runoff may contain high levels of contaminants, such as sediment, suspended solids, nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen), heavy metals, pathogens, toxins, oxygen-demanding substances (organic material), and floatables (U.S. EPA. 1992. Environmental Impacts of Storm Water Discharges: A National Profile. EPA 841-R-92-001. Office of Water. Washington, DC).
After rainfall, storm water runoff carries these pollutants into nearby streams, rivers, lakes, stuaries, wetlands, and oceans. Individually and combined, these pollutants impair water quality, threatening designated beneficial uses and causing habitat alteration and destruction.
The most common source of water pollution is runoff from lawns, roads, and agricultural land. Impervious surfaces like driveways, sidewalks, and streets prevent water from naturally soaking into the ground.
Problems occur when debris, chemicals, dirt, and other pollutants flow into stormwater systems or directly to streams, rivers, wetlands, and lakes. Anything entering these systems is discharged untreated into the waterbodies we use for swimming, fishing, and providing drinking water.
Common pollutants include oil and grease from roadways, pesticides, lawn clippings, dog waste, leaves, and trash such as cigarette butts, wrappers, and plastic bottles.
The purpose of the Storm Water Program is to educate the public how the storm sewer impacts our waterways, and what we can do to conserve water and reduce pollution.
For more information on waste disposal, visit the Public Works section, Inert Waste Landfill.