Additionally, increased runoff can cause water treatment plants to overflow, releasing untreated sewage into water bodies. Communities and developers can reduce runoff quantity, protect water quality, and conserve water by developing compactly, preserving ecologically critical open space, and using green infrastructure strategies.
Full Answer
What are the effects of plant debris on water quality?
This is primarily caused by the effects runoff can have on water quality within an area. Similar to all other life forms, the floods often caused by stormwater runoff can also put people in surrounding communities in danger. Though it may not seem very extreme, some of these floods can lead to property loss, injury, and even drowning.
What is stormwater runoff and how does it affect the environment?
Jun 08, 2018 · Combined sewer overflows occur during storms when there is more stormwater flowing than the pipes leading to a treatment plant can handle. The excess runoff flushes human and industrial wastes, oil, toxic metals, pesticides, and litter into streams.
How does agricultural production affect water quality?
As it flows, this runoff collects and transports soil, pet manure, salt, pesticides, fertilizer, oil and grease, leaves, litter and other potential pollutants. You don't need a heavy rainstorm to send pollutants rushing toward streams, wetlands, lakes and oceans. A …
What is polluted runoff and how does it affect you?
Both surface and groundwater are susceptible to contamination from stormwater runoff, both of which are sources of drinking water. As water travels, it picks up loose debris, pesticides, herbicides, oil, and other types of pollution in its path. This cocktail of contaminants is then dumped into a nearby waterway.
What are the risks of storm water runoff?
Two areas are covered: Part 1. Reducing pollutants in runoff. Pollutants can include pesticides and chemicals, automotive wastes, grass clippings and yard waste, pet and animal manure, and winter salt and de-icers. Part 2.
How can storm water be reduced?
Storm water is unavoidable, but its effects can be reduced by keeping harmful chemicals and materials out of runoff. This section reviews potential sources of contamination and offers ways to minimize them.
Why are animal droppings bad for you?
First, manures contain nutrients that can promote the growth of algae if they enter streams and lakes. Second, animal droppings are a source of disease.
What is the effect of rain on the air?
Rain washes smoke particles out of the air , and runoff picks up dust and ashes left on pavement or in ditches.
How does storm water affect fish?
Polluted storm water degrades our lakes, wetlands and rivers. Soil clouds water and degrades habitat for fish and water plants. Nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen promote the growth of algae, which crowds out other aquatic life. Toxic chemicals, such as antifreeze and oil from leaking cars, carelessly applied pesticides, and zinc from galvanized metal gutters and downspouts, threaten the health of fish and other aquatic life. Bacteria and parasites from pet manure can make nearby lakes and bays unsafe for wading and swimming after storms.
What happens if grass is left on the sidewalk?
If left on sidewalks, driveways, or roads, grass clippings and other yard wastes will wash away with the next storm (Fgure 2.1).
Where does storm water come from?
Storm water is water from rain or melting snow that does not soak into the ground. It flows from rooftops, over paved areas and bare soil, and through sloped lawns. As it flows, this runoff collects and transports soil, pet manure, salt, pesticides, fertilizer, oil and grease, leaves, litter and other potential pollutants.
How does impervious surface affect floods?
Impervious surfaces also increase the impacts from floods. Unable to percolare, water sits on top of paved roads, increasing the flood potential and presence of biological contamination. As communities continue to develop, the area of paved or impervious surface increases as well.
What are the effects of heavy rain?
Heavy rain storms create a rapid influx of water, which can cause a host of health and environmental issues. Rainwater travels to low-lying bodies of water, including oceans, lakes, rivers, streams, and aquifers.
Why is it important to maintain clean water?
population gets their drinking water from surface water sources, so maintaining clean lakes and rivers is extremely important for managing stormwater runoff pollution in drinking water.
Why are wetland important?
Wetlands: Important for Stormwater Retention. Wetlands offer remarkable protection from the impacts of flooding and other stormwater damages. Wetlands absorb incoming water and release it slowly, acting as a natural sponge.
How much money did the Massachusetts wetland save?
According to the U.S Army Corps of Engineers, the state wetland conservation along the Charles River in Boston, Massachusetts saved approximately $17 million in potential flood damage. Additionally, wetlands naturally filter stormwater runoff pollution.
Where does stormwater go?
Under normal conditions, stormwater and sewage travels to a wastewater plant where it’s treated before being discharged into a body of water. During heavy rain events, the large influx of stormwater causes pipes to exceed the capacity of the the system.
What is the source of drinking water?
Both surface and groundwater are susceptible to contamination from stormwater runoff, both of which are sources of drinking water. As water travels, it picks up loose debris, pesticides, herbicides, oil, and other types of pollution in its path.
How does development affect water quality?
Development affects both the quantity and quality of water by changing the natural flow of stormwater runoff in a watershed. When rain hits impervious surfaces such as roofs, streets, and parking lots, it flows off in large quantities, carrying pollutants it picks up from the surfaces. The runoff's increased quantity and speed erode stream channels and destabilize their banks, while pollutants harm plants and wildlife in rivers, streams, and bays. Additionally, increased runoff can cause water treatment plants to overflow, releasing untreated sewage into water bodies.
How can we reduce the pressure to develop on open space?
Directing development to existing communities can help reduce the pressure to develop on open space that might have valuable ecological functions such as buffering a water body.
How does compact development help the environment?
Compact development generates less stormwater runoff per unit of development because it creates less impervious surface. It can also conserve drinking water because it requires shorter pipes to serve a community, which reduces the amount of water lost to leaks.
How can green infrastructure help the environment?
In addition to protecting water quality, these green infrastructure practices can make streets and buildings more attractive and reduce ambient air temperatures.
What is a water quality scorecard?
Water Quality Scorecard: Incorporating Green Infrastructure Practices at the Municipal, Neighborhood, and Site Scale (2009): Offers policy options for protecting and improving water quality across different scales of land use and across multiple municipal departments.
What is EPA's green infrastructure program?
One program that focuses on green infrastructure is Greening America's Communities, which helps cities and towns develop environmentally friendly designs for a neighborhood that can serve as a model for other communities. These designs incorporate innovative green infrastructure strategies. EPA works with other federal agencies to provide this design assistance and help city staff develop implementation strategies.
Some definitions of runoff
1. That part of the precipitation, snow melt, or irrigation water that appears in uncontrolled (not regulated by a dam upstream) surface streams, rivers, drains or sewers.
Runoff and water quality
A significant portion of rainfall in forested watersheds is absorbed into soils ( infiltration ), is stored as groundwater, and is slowly discharged to streams through seeps and springs.
Why might stormwater runoff be a problem?
As it flows over the land surface, stormwater picks up potential pollutants that may include sediment, nutrients (from lawn fertilizers), bacteria (from animal and human waste), pesticides (from lawn and garden chemicals), metals (from rooftops and roadways), and petroleum by-products (from leaking vehicles).
What are the effects of stormwater runoff?
Likewise, what are the effects of runoff? Some other effects from stormwater runoff include: Instead it runs off hard surfaces and, in a heavy rain, can lead to flooding, erosion and property damage. Water pollution. Water becomes polluted as it runs across lawns, driveways and other hard surfaces, when it collects oil, gas, fertilizers, pet waste and more.
How does runoff affect the ocean?
Runoff: How activities near and far from the ocean affect the ocean. As the rainwater enters the ocean, its speed slows and the sediment particles eventually settle out onto the seagrass beds and coral reefs and rocks lining the bays. The smaller particles stay in suspension longer and get carried farther out to sea.
What nutrients are in runoff?
Runoff from agricultural land (and even our own yards) can carry excess nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus into streams, lakes, and groundwater supplies. These excess nutrients have the potential to degrade water quality.
How does agriculture affect water quality?
However, when agricultural activities are not well-monitored and managed, certain practices can negatively affect water quality.
How does contaminated water affect food production?
Below is a list of the potential food production points where contaminated water sources can affect crop production: Crops with contaminated water used for pesticide or herbicide application.
What is NPS pollution?
Agricultural Runoff. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is pollution that comes from many diffuse sources, unlike pollution from point sources such as industrial and sewage treatment plants.
What is the leading cause of river and stream impairment?
In 2002, in the National Water Quality Inventory report to U.S. Congress, the states reported that agricultural nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is the leading cause of river and stream impairment and the second leading cause of impairment in lakes, ponds, and reservoirs (2).
What is contaminated water used for?
Crops with contaminated water used for pesticide or herbicide application. Water used for mixing chemicals should be of appropriate quality. Irrigation. Irrigating crops with contaminated water. Water used for irrigation should be of appropriate quality. Worker Hygiene. Lack of potable water for hand hygiene.
Why is it important to provide water to livestock?
Animal Health. It is important that livestock are provided with adequate amounts of quality water, free of contamination. Contaminated water can contain disease-causing organisms which can rapidly spread if animals are drinking from the same trough.
Should you wash your crops with water?
Wash crops in the final wash process with quality water. Water should be of drinking water quality and should not be recycled (3) . People who consume fruit or vegetables that were exposed to contaminated water are at risk of developing a foodborne illness.
How does water affect soil?
Water runoff can affect soil moisture and soil temperature, ultimately affecting the amount of carbon "locked" into plants. Image courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey, Wisconsin Water Science Center.
Why is moisture important?
This study highlights the significant interactions among these cycles. Discovering their connections will help better represent key water-based parameters in land surface models to better simulate real-world behaviors.
National Award For Smart Growth Achievement Winners
- The National Award for Smart Growth Achievementrecognizes exemplary smart growth projects across the country. Many of the winning projects used various strategies, including compact development, green building, and green infrastructure, to reduce stormwater runoff, improve water quality, and use water more efficiently. Projects that are particularl...
Publications
- Stormwater Management and Green Infrastructure
City Green: Innovative Green Infrastructure Solutions for Downtowns and Infill Locations(2016): Case studies of projects around the country that illustrate how green infrastructure techniques can be used on sites that have limited space and other constraints to bring environmental and c… - Water and Wastewater Infrastructure
The following publications are available in the EPA Archive. Click on SEARCH EPA ARCHIVEand type or copy and paste the title into the search box. 1. Long-term Planning for Sustainable Water and Wastewater Infrastructure in Wellpinit, Washington, for the Spokane Tribe of Indians(2013): …
Technical Assistance
- Please see the Smart Growth Technical Assistance Programs page for more information about EPA's smart growth technical assistance programs. One program that focuses on green infrastructure is Greening America's Communities, which helps cities and towns develop environmentally friendly designs for a neighborhood that can serve as a model for other commu…
Tools
- Flood Resilience Checklist(2014): Can help a community determine whether it is prepared for a flood.
Websites
- EPA’s Office of Watermanages programs to protect the nation's water. Programs particularly relevant to smart growth strategies include: 1. Green Infrastructure: Includes research, tools, and examples to help communities implement green infrastructure solutions. 2. Sustainable Water Infrastructure: Helps communities make water infrastructure investments that support overall c…