What Can We Do to Reduce Stormwater Pollution?

Heavy rainfall is sometimes a cause of concern for cities. In the scarcity of natural pervious surfaces, sometimes it causes waterlogging and flooding. Moreover, due to the absence of a natural water management system, rain falling on streets, rooftops, sports fields, and other impervious surfaces may carry away pollutants and discharge them to the nearby water bodies.

reduce stormwater pollution

The stormwater may carry away the following pollutants
  • Fertilizers and pesticides from gardens
  • Pet wastes
  • Dirt and debris from construction sites
  • Petrol, grease, accidental spills, land leaky storage containers

In most cities across the world, storm drains do not comprise any feature for filtering the stormwater before discharging it into the water bodies.

Why is stormwater pollution a problem?

Stormwater pollution has affected the quality of freshwater in rivers and streams. This polluted water is not appropriate for drinking and when consumed, it may cause several diseases. It is costly to filter all the pollutants.

Stormwater pollution is also a major cause of disturbed aquatic ecosystems. Due to the higher level of pollutants in the water, there is an overgrowth of algae in rivers and streams. This in turn results in decreased oxygen level, causing the death of aquatic creatures.

How can we prevent stormwater pollution? 

The foremost step towards managing stormwater pollution is installing a stormwater attenuation system. A stormwater attenuation tank collects rainwater falling on a residential and commercial complex. Once stormwater is collected into the tank, it can be diverted into the main drainage system at a moderate rate. Collecting stormwater into a tank gives us the chance to check its quality before diverting it to the nearby water body.

Here are other useful tips for stormwater pollution reduction. 
  • Maintain your lawn- You should not dump anything in your lawn. Make sure you dry clean it every alternate day.
  • Do not sprinkle pesticides- You should avoid using fertilizers and pesticides in your lawn. Rather, add compost to planting soil and dress it with mulch to facilitate plant growth.
  • Avoid animals’ wastes out of streams- You should avoid your pet animals to poop in lawn and other areas where rainfall can wash away the dirt and carry it into the storm drains.
  • Reduce impervious surfaces- Try implementing GI practices because it can help in water filtration and assuring cleaner water towards the drain.

Conclusion- Pollution from stormwater sources is a major challenge in cities. To deal with this issue, we should install a stormwater attenuation tank and keep the areas near the storm drain clean. Plus, it's important to implement GI practices.

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