STORMWATER
The EPA
was prepared to levy stiff daily fines against entities not implementing plans
for filtering stormwater runoff.
Implementation of Phase II stormwater regulations have been delayed as a
result of a legal action. So, this may
take awhile. The town had already begun
preparations to institute Phase II.
Essentially,
this program is considered a natural progression toward improved pollutant
protection as envisioned by the Clean Water Act. Under Phase II, catch basins will be modified
to capture petroleum products and filter the stormwater prior to release.
New
devices, which resemble a two-compartment septic tank, have also been proposed
for catch basins that drain directly into a waterway. Detaining the stormwater actually provides a
minimum level of treatment and allows sediments to drop out of solution;
Many of
the new product designs were developed as an insert for existing catch
basins. This feature reduces the capital
investment associated with installing all new components. One example includes a basket strainer that
readily collects leaves and debris. Of
course, the maintenance requirements will be considerable.
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 sheet
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
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
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.
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
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.
WPCA
Coordinator