STORMWATER MANAGEMENT

Stormwater Pollution Prevention

Water is our most precious resource.

From consumption and hygiene to agriculture and industrial uses, we rely on water in some form in every facet our modern world. Yet, with the advancement of society and an increase in population, we are creating concrete jungles that produce dangerous runoff that calls for facilities in multiple industries to enact proper stormwater management protocol in order to protect our vital resources.

What is Stormwater Runoff?

Stormwater runoff refers to the body of rainwater or snowmelt that collects and flows over the landscape during or after precipitation. In a natural setting, stormwater runs along vegetation, marshland or forest floors and gets absorbed back into the earth where it replenishes groundwater, rivers, streams and oceans. While this water cycle is ideal, our modern world is comprised of paved roadways, sidewalks and infrastructure that keep stormwater from sinking back into the earth.

The environmental impact of this stormwater system has proven to be harmful and quite severe in many cases.

Some of the most notable damages include:

  • Contamination of water resources due to lack of appropriate stormwater management protocol
  • Increased turbidity in waterways (i.e., muddiness created from stirred-up sediment)
  • Flooding due to sediment and/or trash accumulation
  • Habitat destruction
  • Stream-flow changes
  • Erosion
  • Sewer overflow

These and more reasons present a pressing need to enact appropriate stormwater management techniques.

Discharge of chemical wastes
Pollution Manangement

What is Stormwater Management?

Stormwater management is the control of potentially dangerous stormwater runoff that offsets damage to the environment and surrounding properties. Conventional stormwater management focused on quickly ushering stormwater through a network of pipes to an offsite location. As time has progressed, however, there has been a shift to green thinking that places more emphasis on preserving the environment and our natural resources. This being the case, current stormwater management protocol encourages reducing the rate and volume of pollutants in runoff as well as establishing filtration and control procedures when it comes to managing runoff generated on various facilities’ sites.

Since the EPA’s Clean Water Act was enacted in 1987, federal and state regulations have been adopted that enforce modern stormwater management techniques to prevent non-point source pollution. Further, the overarching goal of stormwater management is to ensure facilities in numerous industries address environmental concerns with calculated site design and planning that maintains and/or restores the predevelopment hydrology of their property. An example of an effective stormwater management technique is Low Impact Development, which utilizes small-scale controls by filtering, storing and detaining runoff close to the source. Here at Containment & Filtration Solutions, we are proud to offer EPA-friendly stormwater management products that protect sites from incurring non-compliance fines while protecting the environment.