Return to Stormwater Quality
Introduction
In the Stormwater Quality introduction you watched a short video that explained how polluted stormwater is a serious problem for the quality and health of our creeks, rivers, lakes and oceans. However, it may be hard to understand the role we all play in contributing to the problem. Where exactly do these mysterious stormwater pollutants come from? How do these pollutants in our neighborhoods affect our environment?
In this action you will learn about five significant pollutants commonly found in neighborhoods and how they affect our environment. You will explore your neighborhood to find these pollutants and document their location, helping your city understand which pollutants are present in your area. Some of the pollutants are easy to spot, but for others we have to look a little closer. However, the most important thing to understand is these pollutants come from us! Yes, we are the source of the problem.
In this action you will learn about five significant pollutants commonly found in neighborhoods and how they affect our environment. You will explore your neighborhood to find these pollutants and document their location, helping your city understand which pollutants are present in your area. Some of the pollutants are easy to spot, but for others we have to look a little closer. However, the most important thing to understand is these pollutants come from us! Yes, we are the source of the problem.
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How the five most common stormwater pollutants found in our neighborhoods affect us
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Litter
Litter in our neighborhoods not only looks terrible but it clogs the storm drains which can cause flooding. Litter is picked up by running stormwater and enters our waterways where it threatens marine habitats. Plastic is especially problematic as it does not degrade easily, easily entangles marine animals and often resembles tasty food.
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Pet Waste
Pet waste contains disease causing bacteria and viruses. When it is not picked up and disposed of properly, these pathogens can make their way to local waterways causing severe illness in humans. Lakes and ocean beaches are often closed to fishing, swimming and surfing after rainfall because of bacteria from pet waste flowing in stormwater runoff.
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Oil
The oil that drips from our cars may appear to be magically washed away when it rains. However, it is carried out through the storm drain system and enters our waterways. Marine animals are constantly exposed to this oily runoff and, over time, accumulate toxic levels. In addition, people are exposed to these toxins when they eat the fish or shellfish or swim in the polluted waters.
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Sediment
Dirt and debris from our neighborhoods that makes its way into our local waterways degrades water quality in several ways. Small suspended sediment particles cause the water to be cloudy, limiting photosynthesis, reducing available oxygen, and increasing water temperature. Over time the sediment can also blanket the bottom of the waterway, decreasing the depth and reducing viable habitat for aquatic animals.
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Fertilizers
Fertilizers that we use to keep the plants in our yard green, contain nitrates and phosphorus that are flooded into lakes and oceans through rain. These chemicals boost the excessive growth of algae in the water bodies, which decreases the level of oxygen available for aquatic life. This toxic environment leads to the death of fish and other life downstream.
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As you can see, these pollutants throw our ecosystems out of balance when they get into our waterways. It can be hard to understand that these pollutants are coming from us. Finding evidence of these pollutants in our neighborhoods can be tricky. Let’s take a closer look at how these pollutants might appear in your neighborhood.
How common stormwater pollutants might look in your neighborhood
Now that you understand what stormwater pollutants might look like in your neighborhood and understand how important it is to keep them from entering the stormwater system and ending up in our waterways, you are ready to help your city by looking for these pollutants in your neighborhood.
Instructions
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Evaluate and Report
Report back to us about what you found.
