Stormwater runoff is the water following rain or snow that flows off hard surfaces and cannot soak into the soil. Annual rain or snowfall for Allen County totals 36-40 inches. The average Lima property is covered nearly halfway with hard surfaces. Some examples of hard surfaces in our community include rooftops, driveways, patios, sidewalks, streets, and parking lots, whether paved or compacted gravel. This water drains from your property into the storm sewers, carrying contaminants along with it. Storm sewer discharge is not treated before it enters streams and rivers so it’s important that it be clean.
This is a well done and informative video called After the Storm, co-produced by the U.S. EPA and The Weather Channel. The show highlights three case studies—Santa Monica Bay, the Mississippi River Basin/Gulf of Mexico, and New York City—where polluted runoff threatens watersheds highly valued for recreation, commercial fisheries and navigation, and drinking water. Key scientists and water quality experts, and citizens involved in local and national watershed protection efforts provide insight into the problems as well as solutions to today’s water quality challenges. After the Storm also explains simple things people can do to protect their local watershed-such as picking up after one’s dog, recycling household hazardous wastes, and conserving water.
Storm drains or catch basins are sensitive pathways to local streams. So it’s important to keep leaves, trash and pet waste from going down the drain. Not only do you protect water quality, but you also keep these drain ways from plugging.