Stormwater Runoff: The Hidden Water Pollutant
Stormwater runoff is one of the gravest threats to the environment today
. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 21% of impaired lakes and 45% of impaired estuaries were caused by stormwater runoffs. However, not many people know about this phenomenon, and how they even unwittingly contribute to the problem.
So what is stormwater runoff?
To understand why storm runoffs are destructive, we must first have a basic understanding of how the earths water cycle works. In the earths water cycle, rain or storm water falls and is absorbed by different sources porous ground, topsoil, bodies of water, vegetation, etc. In the natural environment, the nutrients in these different sources manage to treat the water via natural processes. Once treated, the water evaporates back, becomes clouds, and the cycle continues as it returns to earth as rainwater again.
Yet because of massive urbanization, the avenues through which water can be naturally treated are disappearing. For example, grounds that used to absorb storm water have been paved over to make roads, driveways and parking lots. These roads cannot absorb rainwater, and simply redirect the water to the drainage system. That drainage system does not treat the water, and it merely redirects it back to various bodies of water.
A similar situation happens on rooftops of manufacturing facilities. Because of the various processes involved in manufacturing, pollutants such as grease and other substances evaporate from the inside of the facility and get stuck in the rooftop vents. Once rain falls, these pollutants can get washed out from the vents and the contaminated water ends up in storm drains. Like the road drainage system, these storm drains do not always have treatment mechanisms, and the untreated water ends up in lakes or streams.
How can we stop stormwater runoff?
Of course, its simply unrealistic to just say remove all roads and other surfaces that hinder the absorption of storm water. Instead, there are several methods that can be employed to help minimize the amount of stormwater runoff that ends up in streams, rivers and lakes.
One major method advised for industries is the installation of stormwater runoff protection equipment. There are several types available, ranging from simple drain plugs and inserts to filtering machines and rooftop containment solutions. Not only do these control and manage stormwater runoff, but they can also help in protecting property. In cases where there are no rooftop containment solutions available, the pollutants in the stormwater runoff also contribute in the destruction of the roof. One good example is that of grease, which can cause bitumen membranes in roofing to wrinkle, swell and even blister.
There are also several tips that ordinary homeowners can utilize to help reduce this kind of pollution. Instead of using chemicals to de-ice a driveway, for instance, sand can be used as a decent substitute. Fertilizer use must also be minimized, as excess fertilizer mixed into stormwater runoff can trigger an overgrowth of aquatic vegetation.
With these simple steps, everyone can all contribute to the reduction of stormwater runoff and water pollution to help save the environment.
by: Dawginc
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