Transcript Union County Conservation District

Union County
Conservation District
Rain Barrel Workshop
Sponsors
 Pennsylvania Association of
Conservation Districts
 Foodswing
 Pennsylvania American Water
Thank you for your help!!
Agenda
•Chesapeake Bay
•Non Point Source Pollution
•Rain Barrel Video
•Rain Barrel Manufacturing
•Installation & Maintenance Options
•Questions and Answers
The Chesapeake Bay
 Nation's largest and most productive
estuary. The Bay provides recreational
and commercial opportunities for humans
and is "home" for many animals.
 Over recent years, the Bay has become
a "victim" of pollution. Many
Pennsylvania land use practices affect
water quality in the Chesapeake Bay.
The Chesapeake Bay Basin
 Stretches from upstate New York to Virginia. The drainage area
covers 64,000 square miles or 41,000,000 acres.
 Pennsylvania makes up over one-third of the entire Chesapeake
Bay Basin, more than any other state.
 About half of Pennsylvania (52%) lies within the Chesapeake Bay
Basin.
 Within Pennsylvania's portion of the Chesapeake Bay Basin, the
Susquehanna River drains 92% of the watershed.
 Three million people, or about one-quarter of the entire
Chesapeake Bay Basin population, lives in Pennsylvania
The Susquehanna River
 Flows 440 miles from New York through
Pennsylvania and Maryland and into the
Chesapeake Bay.
 The Susquehanna River has an average flow
of 19 million gallons of water per minute, the
highest average flow of any river in the eastern
United States.
 The Susquehanna River supplies 50% of the
freshwater entering the Bay.
Nutrient Pollution
 Caused by excessive amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus -impacts local water quality and the Chesapeake Bay.
 Excess nutrients cause an overgrowth of algae, called algae
blooms. Algae blooms deplete oxygen supplies and block sunlight
needed by aquatic plants and animals.
 Pennsylvania contributes an estimate 36 percent of the nitrogen
and 25 percent of the phosphorus entering the Bay.
 Animal manures and commercial fertilizers can pollute local
waterways if applied in excess of crop needs.
The Pennsylvania
Chesapeake Bay Program
 A cooperative project between state, federal, and local agencies
and organizations
 A voluntary effort of Basin landowners to help reduce agricultural
runoff;
a nonpoint source pollution control program within Pennsylvania's
portion of the Bay watershed.
 A technical and financial assistance program for farmers who are
interested in installing prescribed management practices to reduce
water pollution.
 An educational outreach effort teaching farmers, students
homeowners, local governments, and private industries
about Pennsylvania's connection to the Chesapeake Bay.
Nonpoint Source Pollution (NPS)
- is caused by rainfall or snowmelt moving
over and through the ground. As the
runoff moves, it picks up and carries away
natural and human-made pollutants,
finally depositing them into lakes, rivers,
wetlands, coastal waters, and even our
underground sources of drinking water.
NPS Pollutants

Excess fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides from agricultural lands
and residential areas;

Oil, grease, and toxic chemicals from urban runoff and energy
production;

Sediment from improperly managed construction sites, crop and
forest lands, and eroding streambanks;

Salt from irrigation practices and acid drainage from abandoned
mines;

Bacteria and nutrients from livestock, pet wastes, and faulty septic
systems; and

Atmospheric deposition and hydromodification
Affects of NPS Pollutants

the leading cause of water quality
problems. The effects of NPS pollutants on
specific waters vary and may not always
be fully assessed. However, we know that
these pollutants have harmful effects on
drinking water supplies, recreation,
fisheries, and wildlife.
What Can We Do?

Keep litter, pet wastes, leaves, and debris out of street gutters and storm
drains--these outlets drain directly to lake, streams, rivers, and wetlands.

Apply lawn and garden chemicals sparingly and according to directions.

Dispose of used oil, antifreeze, paints, and other household chemicals
properly, not in storm sewers or drains. If your community does not
already have a program for collecting household hazardous wastes, ask
your local government to establish one.

Clean up spilled brake fluid, oil, grease, and antifreeze. Do not hose them
into the street where they can eventually reach local streams and lakes.

Control soil erosion on your property by planting ground cover and
stabilizing erosion-prone areas.

Encourage local government officials to develop construction
erosion/sediment control ordinances in your community.
What Can We Do Con’t….


Have your septic system inspected and pumped, at a minimum, every 3-5
years so that it operates properly.
Purchase household detergents and cleaners that are low in phosphorous to
reduce the amount of nutrients discharged into our lakes, streams and
coastal waters.

Manage animal waste to minimize contamination of surface water and
ground water.

Protect drinking water by using less pesticides and fertilizers.

Reduce soil erosion by using conservation practices and other applicable
best management practices.

Use planned grazing systems on pasture and rangeland.

Dispose of pesticides, containers, and tank rinsate in an approved manner.
Questions??