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