What is Stormwater?

Stormwater is water from rain or melting snow that doesn’t soak into the ground and eventually runs off into waterways. It flows from roof tops, over paved areas and bare soil, and through sloped lawns while picking up a variety of materials on it’s way. As it flows, stormwater runoff collects and transports soil, animal waste, salt, pesticides, fertilizer, oil and grease, debris and other potential pollutants.

What is the Problem

Rain and snowmelt wash pollutants (pesticides, motor oil, Bacteria, nitrogen, lead, chemicals sediment and litter) from streets, construction site and land into storm sewers and ditches. Eventually, the storm sewers and ditches empty polluted stormwater directly into streams and rivers with no treatment. This is know as stormwater pollution.

Polluted stormwater degrades our lakes, rivers, wetlands and other waterways. Nutrients such as phosphorous and nitrogen can promote the overgrowth of algae and deplete oxygen, toxic substances from automobiles and careless application
of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers threaten water quality and can kill fish and other aquatic life. Bacteria from animal waste and improper connections to sewage systems can make lakes and waterways unsafe for wadding, swimming and fish consumption. Eroded soil is a pollutant as well. It clouds the waterways and interferes with the habitat of fish and plant life.

According to an inventory conducted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), approximately half of U.S. waterways classified as impaired are affected by urban/suburban and construction related sources of stormwater runoff.