40 Years Later: The Next Big Challenge, Stormwater Runoff
There has been much ado about the Clean Water Act's 40th Anniversary.
Rightly so, in the past 40 years there have been many great improvements in the fishable and drinkable water in the US.
The need for the Legislation was clear, from the famous example of the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland catching fire an astonishing 10 times to the Hudson River being whichever shade of paint the local GM plant was painting cars that day.
With how bad things were at the time, it brought much needed attention to a problem and ultimately led people to believe that things could be different.
40 years later, the Cuyahoga River now boasts of weekenders traveling in boats and kayaks, while the Hudson River has bloomed with over 50 public parks running along it.
There is much to celebrate as we look at how far we have come.
However, we must continue to maintain and even add to our efforts to ensure that we continue in the right direction especially in consideration of stormwater runoff.
The US has grown in the past 40 years; we have paved over much land and built many shopping centers, parking lots and roads.
Due to the cement sprawl and enormous amount of impervious land that prevents stormwater runoff to be soaked and filtered naturally into the ground, storm water is now passing over these smoothed surfaces and ending back into our main water sources, without treatment.
This is a problem because it is not just rainwater, but it is rainwater racing through our cement jungle gathering whatever happens to be along the way.
Polluted stormwater runoff includes cigarette butts and plastic bottles, chemicals from household-use such as pesticides, auto fluid from leaking cars, along with yard waste of leaves and lawn clippings, to your family's pet's droppings.
This all ends up in our storm sewer system or directly into our sources of water, such as our lakes, rivers and oceans.
Either way, this water goes untreated and is used for swimming, fishing and, even, drinkable water.
If you live in an urban area, take a look the next time it rains at what is being collected and where it is going; either into the sewers or directly into the closest source of water.
You will be shocked.
The EPA has some simple recommendations on how individuals can do their part such as cleaning up after your pets, recycling or properly disposing of household chemicals, and not over-watering your yard or using fertilizers excessively.
Companies and local governments are also working on the issue of stormwater handling.
The green building movement has led to an increase in rainwater harvesting for a variety of uses such as landscape irrigation, make-up water for cooling towers, as well as toilet flushing.
The LEEDS certification acknowledges companies that have a commitment to sustainability, which has encouraged more environmental thinking in handling energy and water in new constructions.
In many of these green buildings, water is either treated on site or ends up at a municipally owned wastewater treatment plant thereby reducing pollution of water sources.
Local regulations are also pushing companies to treat water from various surfaces such as parking lots and plant facilities with some degree of treatment such as oil water separation.
Application for this water includes landscape irrigation and floor/equipment wash water.
In large food/beverage, chemical and refinery operations wash water volumes can be significant.
This water is currently treated, so using storm water for these application reduces demand for fresh water and also results in the subsequent treatment of stormwater prior to discharge.
Building and industrial facilities are also using more advanced treatment methods for stormwater since the reuse of the water demand higher quality water.
These advanced treatment technologies include ozone, UV and membrane filtration.
We have come along way from the 1960's and we are certainly on the right track.
We need to make sure that with the improvements and changes of our nation, we are also keeping in mind our most valuable resource, clean water.
Rightly so, in the past 40 years there have been many great improvements in the fishable and drinkable water in the US.
The need for the Legislation was clear, from the famous example of the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland catching fire an astonishing 10 times to the Hudson River being whichever shade of paint the local GM plant was painting cars that day.
With how bad things were at the time, it brought much needed attention to a problem and ultimately led people to believe that things could be different.
40 years later, the Cuyahoga River now boasts of weekenders traveling in boats and kayaks, while the Hudson River has bloomed with over 50 public parks running along it.
There is much to celebrate as we look at how far we have come.
However, we must continue to maintain and even add to our efforts to ensure that we continue in the right direction especially in consideration of stormwater runoff.
The US has grown in the past 40 years; we have paved over much land and built many shopping centers, parking lots and roads.
Due to the cement sprawl and enormous amount of impervious land that prevents stormwater runoff to be soaked and filtered naturally into the ground, storm water is now passing over these smoothed surfaces and ending back into our main water sources, without treatment.
This is a problem because it is not just rainwater, but it is rainwater racing through our cement jungle gathering whatever happens to be along the way.
Polluted stormwater runoff includes cigarette butts and plastic bottles, chemicals from household-use such as pesticides, auto fluid from leaking cars, along with yard waste of leaves and lawn clippings, to your family's pet's droppings.
This all ends up in our storm sewer system or directly into our sources of water, such as our lakes, rivers and oceans.
Either way, this water goes untreated and is used for swimming, fishing and, even, drinkable water.
If you live in an urban area, take a look the next time it rains at what is being collected and where it is going; either into the sewers or directly into the closest source of water.
You will be shocked.
The EPA has some simple recommendations on how individuals can do their part such as cleaning up after your pets, recycling or properly disposing of household chemicals, and not over-watering your yard or using fertilizers excessively.
Companies and local governments are also working on the issue of stormwater handling.
The green building movement has led to an increase in rainwater harvesting for a variety of uses such as landscape irrigation, make-up water for cooling towers, as well as toilet flushing.
The LEEDS certification acknowledges companies that have a commitment to sustainability, which has encouraged more environmental thinking in handling energy and water in new constructions.
In many of these green buildings, water is either treated on site or ends up at a municipally owned wastewater treatment plant thereby reducing pollution of water sources.
Local regulations are also pushing companies to treat water from various surfaces such as parking lots and plant facilities with some degree of treatment such as oil water separation.
Application for this water includes landscape irrigation and floor/equipment wash water.
In large food/beverage, chemical and refinery operations wash water volumes can be significant.
This water is currently treated, so using storm water for these application reduces demand for fresh water and also results in the subsequent treatment of stormwater prior to discharge.
Building and industrial facilities are also using more advanced treatment methods for stormwater since the reuse of the water demand higher quality water.
These advanced treatment technologies include ozone, UV and membrane filtration.
We have come along way from the 1960's and we are certainly on the right track.
We need to make sure that with the improvements and changes of our nation, we are also keeping in mind our most valuable resource, clean water.