| Storm drains are used to prevent flooding | | | | waterways. At 385 million gallons per year, |
| during the rain falling or snow and ice | | | | Americans carelessly dispose of 35 times more |
| melting. Storm drains are usually covered by | | | | oil than was spilled in the entire Valdez oil |
| large grates, or they may be open on the | | | | spill. At least half of the amount is |
| roadways. The water collected in the storm | | | | disposed of by do-it-yourselfers who change |
| drains is then carried to the local sources | | | | their own oil and disposed of it improperly"( |
| of water as creeks, lakes, rivers or the | | | | from Facts about Storm drain pollution |
| ocean. On an average summer day approximately | | | | available on web: |
| one million gallons of water flows through | | | | |
| the urban drain system, during rainy weather | | | | With the development of business on the coast |
| this yardsticks rises to billions of gallons. | | | | line earthier on the eastern side, or the |
| | | | Western side of the united states, the |
| One of the good example of the necessity of | | | | problem of storm drain pollution becomes |
| the storm drain system is a devastating flood | | | | serious from year to year. The only way to |
| in California that happened 1938. It resulted | | | | solve it is careful control of the recycling |
| 119 deaths and approximately 40 million | | | | and monitoring of street pollution. The |
| dollars in property damage. | | | | statement that "One gallon of used oil can |
| | | | create an eight-acre slick on surface water, |
| All the drain water is called storm water | | | | threatening fish, waterfowl and other aquatic |
| runoff, and it contains not just dust from | | | | life. Used oil contains toxic chemicals and |
| the roads and simple rainwater but other | | | | heavy metals which cause severe pollution and |
| pollutants and waste including litter, food | | | | can kill the micro-organism at the base of |
| leftovers, fertilizes, etc. All these | | | | the marine food chain" makes everyone to |
| admixtures can easily pollute waterways and | | | | think about it. |
| make drinking water sources useless. | | | | |
| | | | Understandably the problem of storm drain |
| All the storm water runoff that doesn't | | | | water pollution can not be solved completely |
| evaporate or seep into the ground flows for | | | | because the possibility that there will |
| many miles through the drain system directly | | | | always be contamination in water is very |
| to the local natural water sources. | | | | high. What we can do is mainly minimize the |
| | | | risks of storm water pollution. For the |
| The contamination of the storm water runoff | | | | majority it may seem to be the task for the |
| is different mostly influenced by | | | | ecological and environment protection |
| residential, industrial and construction | | | | authorities, but the role of the individual |
| waste products. Residential waste includes | | | | in solution of this problem is equally |
| different bacteria, viruses, parasites caused | | | | important. There is a lot of space for |
| by the pet waste that is often left of the | | | | measures that every one of us can take to |
| ground; also it's vehicle fluids like oil, | | | | prevent waterways pollution, and most of them |
| gas or antifreeze, that cause the main | | | | are simple and just ask to be reasonable in |
| problem of water pollution in the country. | | | | our own actions. |
| Industrial waste that comes into the storm | | | | |
| water runoffs can be different chemicals, | | | | Most of the measures that everyone can take |
| toxic substances left on the ground and any | | | | concern the toxic materials that we use in |
| kind of toxic smoke that condensates and | | | | our daily life. Antifreeze used in the cars |
| comes to the rainwater. Construction waste | | | | is a very toxic substance and can cause a big |
| includes different kinds of chemicals that | | | | damage once being spilled into water. That's |
| penetrate to the rainwater form the | | | | why it's very necessary to repair the |
| construction and they mostly consist of | | | | radiator system of the car if it leaks and to |
| dangerous and toxic substances. | | | | recycle or keep used antifreeze separately |
| | | | from other waste materials and with the |
| Very often in big megapolis areas like San | | | | appearance of any possibility to utilize it |
| Diego, Los Angeles or New York the drain | | | | properly, the same measures should be taken |
| system is not able to function properly | | | | to recycle motor oil and other toxic |
| because of the huge amount of water drained | | | | materials. Also it's essential to keep the |
| and the same amount of litter and street | | | | yard clean, collect and recycle all the |
| trash. As the result most of the street trash | | | | garbage in the compost containers. Fertilizes |
| gets directly into the ocean water. As the | | | | and pesticides should be minimally used and |
| Storm water Pollution Guide for Businesses | | | | recycled in hazardous waste bags. If every |
| tells: "once entered the pipelines of the | | | | one would follow these instructions the risks |
| drain storm system, the polluted water comes | | | | of waterways pollutions would be visibly |
| directly to the San Diego Bay causing large | | | | reduced. |
| amounts of pollution." As it continues: | | | | |
| "Collectively storm water and runoff from | | | | The continuing pollution of the waterways |
| houses deposit several tons of plastic and | | | | forced the government authorities to take the |
| substantial amounts of toxic substances to | | | | legislature acts that would regulate the |
| the Bay every year." But the misuse of the | | | | water pollution as the article Storm Drains |
| storm drain because of the street litter is | | | | and Water Quality tells: "In November 1990, |
| not the only problem that faces the | | | | the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency |
| ecological and environment protection | | | | (EPA) issued a final rule to implement |
| authorities. There is another serious problem | | | | Section 402(p) of the Clean Water Act, |
| that in many locations the storm drain system | | | | federal legislation aimed at preserving the |
| and waste systems are united into one and as | | | | quality of America's waters. This final rule |
| the result it causes serious pollutions of | | | | requires cities with populations greater than |
| natural water sources. "Combined sewer | | | | 100,000 that have separate storm sewer |
| overflows: For many years communities | | | | systems to obtain a National Pollutant |
| throughout Michigan would collect and treat | | | | Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. |
| storm water in conjunction with waste water. | | | | Cities must apply for this permit to ensure |
| However, as systems began to age and no | | | | the EPA that their storm sewer systems are |
| longer had the capacity to treat sewage | | | | operating as efficiently and cleanly as |
| during large storm, all water was released to | | | | possible." (Household Hazardous Waste |
| local waterways. Many communities, including | | | | Project, University of Missouri) |
| those around White Lake, have disconnected | | | | |
| wastewater (sewer) and storm water drains, | | | | One of the most recent and successfully |
| but now most storm water is untreated and is | | | | working projects on protection of the storm |
| highly contaminated." (from Storm water | | | | drain water from contamination is "Clean |
| runoff available on web ) | | | | Water" project that is running in San Diego |
| | | | area, California. Because the pollution from |
| If to refer to the official statistics we can | | | | the runoff water is the main source of ocean |
| find that storm drain pollution is not an | | | | pollution in the California coast with all |
| exaggerated problem at all, but very serious | | | | well-known outcomes it came necessary to |
| one: "One gallon of used motor oil can | | | | regulate and renew the whole storm drain |
| contaminate 1 million gallons of water. When | | | | system of the area. It includes drain control |
| used motor oil is applied to roads, more than | | | | over the businesses, communities also |
| 90 percent of it leaves the road surface on | | | | includes educational measures as well as |
| dust particles or in surface runoff. Used oil | | | | direct renewal of the complex drain system of |
| is the single largest source (over 40%) of | | | | the area. |
| oil pollution in the U.S. harbor and | | | | |