STORMWATER

There are two basic schools of thought concerning stormwater. The first position is to collect the stormwater in curbing and catchbasins for deposition into a low-energy environment. The second position recommends reliance on sheetflow runoff, no curbing and no catchbasins. As an aside, collected stormwater contaminated with road oils, gasoline, rubber, antifreeze, wax, detergents and fine metal particles reclassify the stormwater as wastewater, or worse, hazardous waste.

Can you imagine the cost associated with collecting and treating all of the stormwater runoff? Some cities still have combined sewers that collect wastewater and stormwater together, separating these systems is disruptive, time-consuming and very expensive. In years past, stormwater was used for dilution at the sewage treatment plants. Unfortunately, a large volume stormwater flow will inundate the treatment plant resulting in overflows and bypassing the treatment train. That means a direct discharge of untreated sewage into the receiving waters.

What should we do with stormwater in Old Saybrook? It’s a question that Public Works and the Town Engineer are wrestling with. After more than a decade of effort, the EPA is implementing Phase II Stormwater regulations. The programs are to be in place by March 10, 2003! More than 60% of the US population will live in areas subject to these regulations. Phase II Stormwater was originally targeted for a locality consisting of 50,000 or more people with a density of greater than 1000 people per square mile. By 2002 the criteria changed to a locality consisting of 10,000 or more people with a density of 1000 people per square mile. Old Saybrook’s population is just over 10,000 people and contains a couple of areas that exceed 1000 people per square mile. The Town was awarded the designation as an “Urbanized Area”.

So, what does all of this mean? As a town, we need to identify and solve stormwater problems that potentially spread pollution. Minimize the sources and prioritize efforts to reduce or eliminate pollutants.

Some of the tools that we currently employ include maintenance of existing catch basins. When filled with road-sand, debris, and erosion products or refuse the catch basin will be unable to provide for stormwater absorption into the underlying soil or stormwater transport to a detention pond. Also, pet-droppings left on the roadway will collect in the catch basins. Road-sand and most erosion products are managed with street sweeping throughout the spring. Debris can be defined as leaves, twigs and small branches. Refuse is generally litter or trash that has escaped the trashcan. Leaves or fast-food wrappers, cups and paper bags enter the catch basin and disrupt the flow of water and create stagnant water pools. Catch basins, holding standing water, become mosquito breeding grounds in the spring and summer months. This can lead to the transmission of West Nile or EEE virus.

Some individuals discard unwanted food products and byproducts into catch basins. Decomposing material will attract animals and insects, which may spread disease to both human and pet populations.

Our efforts to minimize the pollution sources should be fairly straightforward, don’t litter! Pick-up what your pet drops and send unwanted food product and byproducts out with the trash. It is far more effective to recycle or incinerate this material.

There are several other manageable pollutants collecting in our catch basins including, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions; use the recommended volume of material. Consult the weather forecast prior to application. Fertilizing someone else’s property following an afternoon thunderstorm must be very frustrating. And, more is not always better!

Never pour unwanted oil, fuel or antifreeze into a catch basin! Some catch basins drain into detention ponds that can sustain breeding populations of fish, frogs and salamanders. Petroleum products will destroy some of these more fragile ecosystems.

In the next newsletter, I will describe some of the new hardware available to mitigate and actually treat stormwater.

Steve Luckett

WPCA Coordinator