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Stormwater runoff is generated when precipitation from rain and snow flows over land and impenetrable surfaces. As runoff spills off impermeable ground and flows over streets, parking lots, and other concrete areas, this accumulates debris, chemicals, sediments and other pollutants that can affect the water quality of the runoff as it is discharged, untreated. Water that is unabsorbed by the ground runs rapidly into storm drains, sewer systems and drainage systems that can cause a host of other problems: downstream flooding, stream bank erosion, sewer overflows, increased turbidity, habitat destruction, and contaminated streams, rivers and coastal water. On the other hand, when stormwater is absorbed into the ground, it is filtered and replenishes aquifers. Stormwater management is focused on collecting stormwater in piped networks and transporting it off-site directly to a stream or river, a large stormwater management facility, or to a combined sewer system flowing to a wastewater treatment plant. In this way, stormwater is addressed through a variety of techniques that utilize strategic design and thoughtful landscape planning. Communities can use a wet weather green infrastructure which is a type of approach that uses a new kind of technology to infiltrate, evapotranspire, capture, and reuse stormwater to maintain or restore natural hydrologies. Green infrastructure is an approach communities can choose to maintain healthy waters and build a sustainable community. It is unlike a single-purpose gray stormwater infrastructure that uses pipes to dispose of rainwater. Green infrastructure uses vegetation and soil to manage rainwater, which allows flood mitigation and air quality management. The EPA’s (Environmental Protection Agency) approach to storm water management practices adhere to federal requirements. Most stormwater point sources and operators are required to receive an NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit before discharging. This prevents stormwater runoff from bringing harmful pollutants to local surface waters. Utilizing good stormwater management BMP (Best Management Practices) also involves the installation of an underground stormwater chamber. A brand like StormChamber has a side-portal feed for greater flexibility. Its hydraulic design eliminates circuitous routing of feed pipes from inlet structures to entry point of a header pipe. The StormChamber has an open-bottom, high-density polyethylene infiltration chamber that functions in both permeable and non-permeable soils. It takes advantage of the natural physical properties of the soil, while it helps maintain base flow to streams, wetlands, lakes and ponds, as well as to counter salt-water intrusion. Effective storm water management is a way to protect us and the environment. BMP requires environmentally friendly facilities to help manage stormwater. If you would like to read up some more on stormwater management, visit: cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/swbasicinfo.cfm and yosemite.epa.gov/R10/WATER.NSF/0/17090627a929f2a488256bdc007d8dee?OpenDocument.
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