Zachary Brown/iStock
DCL
Nope, this isn't the latest corporate 10K challenge. Urban runoff is serous business, e.g. storm water "from city streets and adjacent domestic or commercial properties that carries pollutants of various kinds into the sewer systems and receiving waters."
The United States Geological Survey explains further: "Much of the rainfall in watersheds having forests and pastures is absorbed into the porous soils (infiltration), is stored as ground water, and moves back into streams through seeps and springs. Thus, in many rural areas, much of the rainfall does not enter streams all at once, which helps prevent flooding. When areas are urbanized, much of the vegetation and topsoil is replaced by impervious surfaces such as roads, parking lots, and pavement (picture at left). When natural land is altered, rainfall that used to be absorbed into the ground now must be collected by storm sewers that send the water runoff into local streams."
This runoff, says the Extension Toxicology Network (ExToxNet), is primarily made up of suspended sediment. Other pollutants include oil, grease, pesticides from turf management, road salts, metals, bacteria and viruses, and toxic chemicals from automobiles." Here's what ExToxNet suggests in terms of citizen action:
- Volunteer to assist ecologically valuable restoration projects
- Prioritize clean up strategies within the community
- Conduct storm drain stenciling projects
- Target specific enterprises that have opportunities to control runoff
- Conduct education projects to teach students how to prevent pollution
