Photo By Monica Wood | Polluted storm water causes problems that come with an extremely high environmental...... read more read more
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FORT SILL, Okla. (Aug. 10, 2022) — When it rains, it drains, and it must go somewhere. Where does the rainwater on Fort Sill go?
Water from inside our homes goes to a wastewater treatment facility for purification, but water from roofs, streets and outdoor faucets is untreated and goes directly into the storm drains — and straight to our waterways — picking up all kinds of contaminants along the way.
Polluted stormwater causes problems that come with an extremely high environmental and monetary price tag. According to Scott Sherman, Environmental Quality Division of the Directorate of Public Works. The most cost-effective way to manage stormwater pollution is to prevent it in the first place.
Sherman outlined five major culprits and what you can do to prevent them from polluting our water supply:
Grass clippings – the amount of phosphorous in grass clippings from mowing your lawn just once can produce up to 100 lbs. of unwanted algae if it ends up in local lakes and ponds. Too many nutrients in streams and lakes cause rapid growth of algae. The best prevention is to compost or bag your leaves and lawn clippings.
Leaf litter and landscape trash – account for 56 percent of phosphorous in urban stormwater, not to mention clogging storm drains, causing potential flooding and increasing debris in our waterways.
“Algae looks bad, smells bad, degrades water quality and can be harmful to your health,” said Sherman.
To prevent landscape trash from getting into our waterways do not blow leaves or lawn clippings into the street.
Fertilizer over-application – Just 1 pound of fertilizer over-application on the average lawn can equate to 34.2 lbs. of excess algae growing in streams and lakes.
“Excess nutrients – specifically nitrogen and phosphorous, pollute stormwater run-off from urban areas, contributing to the third cause of lake deterioration in the U.S.,” Sherman said. “Always follow the manufacturer’s application recommendations. Fertilizing in the early fall promotes healthy root systems – leading to stronger, more resilient lawns and plants.”
Another way to prevent over application of fertilizer is to sweep up any spills or overspray of fertilizers on sidewalks and streets.
Washing your car in the driveway – When you wash your car in the driveway, you are washing about 120 gallons of grime-filled water downstream. The soap, together with the dirt, grease and grime flows untreated into nearby storm drains, which run directly into lakes and streams.
“Phosphates from soap can cause excess algae to grow, impacting aquatic habitats,” said Sherman. “You can use a commercial car wash, where water is recycled and sent to treatment facilities. Wash your car on the lawn or gravel and always dump your soapy bucket in the sink.”
The fifth culprit is dog poop. If owners do not clean up after their pooches, 390 million pounds of poop can wash into our waterways every year just in Oklahoma, said Sherman. Dog waste contains 10% phosphates and 2% nitrates, contributing to algae growth.
“As algae decays, it uses up oxygen in our water, leading to a decline in our drinking water quality — and making it more expensive to treat,” said Sherman. “Dog waste also carries disease-causing bacteria into our water supply. The best thing to do is clean up dog waste and dispose of it properly.”
Fort Sill has four main waterways that stormwater drains into: Medicine Creek, Sitting Bear Creek, Wolf Creek and East Cache Creek. Protect these waterways by keeping pollution out of storm drains and run off.
| Date Taken: | 08.10.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 08.10.2022 16:26 |
| Story ID: | 426975 |
| Location: | FORT SILL, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Web Views: | 87 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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