Doing Your Part to Prevent Storm Water Pollution

Water pollution threatens not only our drinking water sources, but also the ecosystems that support various plants, fish and the food chain generally. In the mid-Atlantic, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation recently released State of the Bay report, which gave the bay’s health a grade of "D''.

The best place to start preventing water pollution is at home. Urban runoff accounts for the largest source of water pollution nation wide according to the EPA. From salt and de-icers applied to your driveway and sidewalks, to fertilizers and pesticides in your yard, to oil and all manner of garbage that finds its way into a river or drain, urban runoff accounts for over 77 unique pollutants that find there way into our watershed.

The best ways to control pollution from runoff are:

1. slow down and collect the storm water that comes off your home’s roof and yard, a process known as Rainscaping. This includes techniques that redirect, capture, and control runoff such as rain barrels, rain gardens, and permeable pavements.
   
2. reduce the use of non-degradable products in the exterior of the home

To collect storm water, we recommend rain barrels, which are specialized storage tanks designed to collect storm runoff from your roof. This not only keeps the storm water from eroding your lawn but also lets you use that stored water later for use in anything from gardening to washing the car. While there is no need to collect all the run off that may come from a storm, every drop you store helps. Rain gardens take this concept to the next level by putting that water directly to use. A rain garden consists of a pit, usually a foot deep, that is positioned to collect runoff and snow melt from other parts of your lawn. A water resistant bottom layer, known as an under-drain collects and retains water in the planting medium. This planting medium usually is made of a sand/soil mixture and acts as the bases for the garden, with a top layer of mulch to protect the soil from debris. The best plants to use for a rain garden are those with a dense root structure that prevent run of and readily absorb excess water. A third way to slow down storm water is permeable pavements and other substitutes for impenetrable surfaces, such as those found on concrete patios and driveways allow rainwater to be better absorbed by the environment and thus dissipate at a much slower rate. Reducing the flow and volume of runoff, allows the land to better absorb water, which prevent erosion and the buildup of pollutants. Examples of permeable pavements include the use of interlocking paving stones and porous concrete structures, like concrete grids.

You can reduce the use of non-degradable pollutants by choosing greener products for your yard such as coated or organic fertilizers, which release nutrients over an extended period, preventing the watershed from being overloaded with nutrients that choke off oxygen. Taking steps to reduce the overall need for chemicals in the first place is an even better option. For example, native plants need less chemicals for upkeep than non-native plants.

For more information and advice on how to start your own projects check out:

• http://dnr.maryland.gov/bay/czm/nps/index.html
• http://www.chesapeakebay.net/news_rainscaping09.aspx?menuitem=35773
• http://www.rainscaping.org/
• http://www.aquabarrel.com
• http://www.epa.gov/safewater/sourcewater/pubs/fs_swpp_stormwater.pdf
• http://www.watoxics.org/homes-and-gardens/fastfacts/fastfacts-fertilizer
• http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/Content/DEP/Rainscapes/home.html
• http://www.mde.state.md.us/Water/index.asp