Even though water might be the most important item towards keeping people healthy, the federal government did not begin requiring effective stormwater controls on development until 1990 as a response to the Clean Water Act of 1987. Perhaps that delay is one of the reasons that stormwater pollution is so common today. Although only 0.1 percent of domestic sewage is pollutants and 99.9 percent is pure water, millions, if not more, of gallons of stormwater pollution is produced in the United States. So trying to minimize the amount that is being produced is one of the best things people and communities can do in order to stay environmentally friendly.
There are lots of different items that contribute to stormwater pollution. While in large bodies of water visible floating pollutants like trash might be seen, macroscopic pollution, often called “floatables,” are more common in urban stormwater. Stormwater management policies and ideas that include steps to decrease stormwater pollution are a great idea for many. Stormwater filters are one of the best ways to prevent harmful substances from getting into water sources and their installation can be a great step in the clean up process. There are other types of stormwater treatment methods as well, and finding the right combination can help drastically reduce the amount of stormwater pollution a community creates.
Curb inlets are one way that some areas try to minimize stormwater pollution because they help remove hydrocarbons and contaminants like sand, silt, metal, solid waste, and liter from stormwater runoff. That makes them a valuable tool when it comes to reducing stormwater pollution as a whole. While curb inlets are a great product all on their own, it takes a collection of many different items and practices in order to try to eliminate it altogether.
Because of the chemicals that make it dangerous, stormwater pollution can be very harmful to natural areas. As a result, it might be necessary for a group to combine chemical, biological, and physical assessments on a waterway in order to determine the health of both it, and the surrounding flora and fauna. Those results might help to determine what effect, if any, stormwater pollution is having on an area. Presenting these effects to a large amount of people might be the best way to inspire them to change their habits and attempt to reduce the amount of stormwater pollution that they produce.