Transcript Document

A Guide to Understanding Storm Water Runoff
What is Storm Water Runoff?
Storm water runoff occurs when precipitation from rain or snowmelt flows over
the ground. Impervious surfaces like driveways, sidewalks, and streets can
prevent storm water from naturally soaking into the ground. Consequently, the
water “runs off” into a catch basin, a side ditch, or some other storm water
collection system that transports the water directly to a river or lake.
How groundcover affects the amount of storm water runoff
40% evaporation
30% evaporation
55%
runoff
10%
runoff
25% shallow
infiltration
10% shallow
infiltration
25% deep
infiltration
Natural Ground Cover
5% deep
infiltration
75% - 100% Impervious Cover
Where does storm water runoff go?
Residential
Development
Commercial
Development
Water Treatment Plant
So what’s the big deal?
As storm water flows over driveways, lawns, and sidewalks, it picks up debris, chemicals,
dirt, and other pollutants, and empties into a storm water collection system.
Anything that enters a storm water collection system is discharged untreated into the
lakes and rivers we use for swimming, fishing, and providing drinking water.
Now that point-source pollution has been
remediated, polluted runoff currently
ranks as one of the nation’s greatest
threats to clean water.
Test Your
H2O
Knowledge
What percentage of the earth is covered by water?
About 80% of the world is
covered by water or ice, leaving
the remaining 20% as dry land.
Test Your
H2O
Knowledge
What percentage of the world’s water is readily available
for humans to use?
97% of the water on earth is salty ocean
and 2% is frozen. The remaining 1% is
available to meet human needs.
Possible pollutants in storm water:
If left uncontrolled, these pollutants can:
The Feds get involved
In response to the pollution hazards caused by storm water runoff, the Environmental Protection
Agency passed Phase II of the federal Clean Water Act. To comply with this regulation, the Board
of Miami County Commissioners and other political subdivisions have coordinated efforts to
develop Storm water Management Programs so that pollution caused by runoff in Miami County
can be minimized as much as possible.
The Storm Water Management Program consists of the following six components, which are
targeted for implementation by the end of 2007:
1.
Public Education/Outreach on Storm Water Impacts
2.
Public Involvement/Participation
3.
Illicit Discharge Detection & Elimination
4.
Construction Site Storm Water Runoff Control
5.
Post-Construction Storm Water Management
6.
Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping
for Municipal Operations
Partner Agencies Coordinating on Storm Water Management
Miami County Commissioners
Miami Conservancy District
Miami Soil & Water Conservation District
Miami County Health Department
Miami County Planning & Zoning
Miami County Engineer’s Office
Local Watershed Groups
OSU Extension
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
You!
Test Your
H2O
Knowledge
How many quarts of water are contained in the
typical adult human body?
The adult body contains about
40 quarts or 10 gallons of water.
Test Your
H2O
Knowledge
Whose body contains more water…man’s or woman’s ?
A man’s body is 60-65% water
while a women’s body is 50-60%
water. Muscle tissue contains a
large amount of water, while fat
tissue contains virtually no
water…
you figure it out!
What is a watershed?
A watershed is all the land area that drains to a given body of water.
WE ALL LIVE IN A WATERSHED
The Great Miami River Watershed
PIQUA
FLETCHER
BRADFORD
COVINGTON
Middle Great Miami
Watershed
Miami County
Major Watersheds
CASSTOWN
PLEASANT
HILL
TROY
Stillwater
Watershed
LUDLOW
FALLS
Honey Creek
Watershed
LAURA
TIPP
CITY
POTSDAM
WEST MILTON
Mad River
Watershed
No man is an island…
What happens at our location in the watershed, either positive or negative, has a
ripple effect on those who live “downstream” from us in the watershed.
Sediment can cloud the water and make it difficult or impossible for aquatic plants to
grow. Sediment also can destroy aquatic habitats.
Sources of Sediment
Anyplace where bare, non-vegetated soil is exposed to heavy precipitation
can be a source of sediment. Large construction sites and plowed
agricultural fields have the greatest potential to contribute to sediment
loads in local streams and rivers.
Insecticides, pesticides, paint, solvents, used motor oil and other auto fluids can
poison aquatic life. Land animals and people can become sick from eating diseased
fish or ingesting polluted water.
Excess nutrients from fertilizers can cause algae blooms in rivers and lakes. When
algae die, they sink to the bottom and decompose in a process that removes oxygen
from the water. Fish and other aquatic organisms can’t exist in water with low
dissolved oxygen levels.
Bacteria and other pathogens from animal waste or failing septic systems can
migrate into receiving waters of a watershed and create numerous health hazards for
humans and animals.
Plastic bags, six-pack rings, bottles, cigarette butts, etc, washed into waterbodies
can choke, suffocate, or disable aquatic life like ducks, fish, turtles, and birds.
Polluted storm water can affect drinking water sources which, in turn, can increase
drinking water treatment costs.
Test Your
H2O
Knowledge
How many quarts of water does the human body lose
in a typical day?
You lose around 3 quarts of
water per day through normal
elimination, sweating and
breathing. If you exercise or live
in a humid climate, you may
lose another quart.
Test Your
H2O
Knowledge
What is the largest use of water indoors?
Toilets use the most, with an
average of 27 gallons per person
per day. Laundry averages 17
gallons per person per day and
showers 14 gallons.
So what can Average Joe Citizen do?
If each of us does our small part in preventing storm water pollution, the results
will be significant. There’s a part we can play in each of the following areas:
Household Waste Disposal
Lawn Care
Auto Care
Septic System Maintenance
Pet Waste Disposal
Home Repair & Improvement
Water Conservation
Household Waste Disposal
Recycle or properly dispose of household products that contain chemicals, such as
insecticides, pesticides, paint, solvents, and used motor oil and other auto fluids.
Don’t pour these onto the ground or into storm drains.
It is a violation of state law (ORC 3767.14 and
3767.32) to dispose of oil products, litter,
refuse, or other materials into a catch basin that
could potentially contaminate a body of water.
Miami County
Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Program
Miami County residents can dispose of household hazardous waste materials free of charge
four times throughout the year, through an arrangement between the Miami County
Engineering Dept. and the Montgomery County Solid Waste District.
Items which may be disposed of include pesticides, herbicides, pool chemicals, old gasoline,
propane tanks, gas cans, paint, household cleaners, stains, varnishes, thinners, florescent
lights, photographic chemicals, old fire extinguishers, motor oil, antifreeze, wax, adhesives,
and sealers.
A voucher is required to pre-arrange for disposal.
Call
440-3488
between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Monday through Friday
for more information.
Lawn Care
Use pesticides and fertilizers sparingly. When use is necessary, apply
only the recommended amounts, and avoid application if the forecast calls
for rain.
Don’t over water your lawn. Water during the cool times of the day, and
don’t let the water run off into the storm
drain.
As much as possible, keep leaves,
grass and other yard debris from entering
the storm drain.
Auto Care
Wash your car at a commercial car wash that treats its wastewater, or wash your
vehicle on your yard so the water infiltrates into the ground rather than entering the
storm drain .
Repair leaks promptly and dispose of used auto fluids and batteries at designated
drop-off or recycling locations.
Test Your
H2O
Knowledge
How many gallons of river water can be polluted
by one quart of motor oil?
2,500 gallons of water can
be contaminated by a
single quart of oil.
Test Your
H2O
Knowledge
If a faucet leaks one drop every second for a year,
how many gallons of water goes down the drain?
2,700 gallons. If you have a leaky
toilet trap, you could be losing as
much as 1 million gallons of water
over a three month period, which
would add an additional $ 3000
to your quarterly water bill.
Septic System Maintenance
Inspect your system every 3 years and pump your tank as necessary (usually
every 3 to 5 years).
Care for the leach field by not driving or parking vehicles on it.
Plant only grass over and near the leach
lines to avoid damage from tree roots.
Avoid flushing paint, pesticides,
oil or other household chemicals into
the system, as well as diapers,
paper towels and cat litter, which can
clog the leach lines.
Pet Waste Disposal
Many public walking trails and bike paths now provide pet litter stations to use
for disposal of pet waste. Using these stations, and picking up after “Bruno”
when he does his business during a neighborhood jaunt, will help to keep
bacteria and excess nutrients from entering the storm water collection system
during a heavy rain, and eventually ending up in the river.
Home Repair & Improvement
Whenever possible, purchase and use nontoxic, biodegradable, recycled, and
recyclable products.
After using latex paints, clean paint brushes in a sink rather than in the yard.
Filter and reuse paint thinner when using oil-based paints.
As much as possible, limit the amount of paved
area and increase the amount of vegetated area in
your yard. Consider directing downspouts away
from paved surfaces onto lawns to increase
infiltration and reduce runoff.
Sweep up and properly dispose of
construction debris such as concrete and mortar.
Repair leaky faucets and toilets right away.
Water Conservation
Run the washing machine and dishwasher only when they are fully loaded.
By doing so, each residence can save between 300-800 gallons of water
monthly. (…or better yet, chuck the dishwasher and clean by hand)
Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth or shaving. Consider reducing
shower times by a couple minutes. The water conserved may seem insignificant,
but it will add up to a surprising amount over time.
Test Your
H2O
Knowledge
What is the largest use of water outdoors?
Lawn sprinkling is the largest use of
water outdoors?
Test Your
H2O
Knowledge
What‘s the longest river in the United States?
The Missouri River runs for 2,540 miles,
longest in the United States. The
Mississippi comes in second at 2,340 miles.
Bonus: Where does the Missouri River originate?
Williston, North Dakota
Blair, Nebraska
Three Forks, Montana
Other things you can do
Join a local watershed group
Middle Great Miami Watershed Alliance
Stillwater Watershed Project
Honey Creek Watershed Association
Upper Great Miami Watershed Project
Participate in a river clean up
Stay educated on storm water issues
And, most importantly…
Use our recreational water resources (fish, canoe, hike, camp, etc.)