DID YOU KNOW THAT. . . .

                                                

Storm Drains are a "Grate-way" to the Water World we Live in.

During a rainstorm, water on the street flows into the storm drain. Items in the street that are light enough (like dirt, oil, cigarette butts & plastic wrappers) will travel with the water through the open grate and will pass through an underground pipe. The pipe often ends at a nearby man-made pond that will hold a little bit of the rain but will overflow into a nearby stream or natural body of water during a hard rain. Some storm drains have underground pipes that lead directly to an outfall at a nearby stream.

The fact is that storm drain systems do not lead to sewage treatment facilities for water purification. Storm drains simply drain storm water into the nearby environment so that the water does not collect in the neighborhood.

Some facts for review:

  • Storm drain systems do not lead to sewage treatment facilities for water purification.
  • Storm drains simply drain storm water into the nearby environment.
  • Any substance that goes into your storm drain goes directly into a local stream or river, which eventually empties into the Chesapeake Bay.

Undesirable Items that can be Washed Down into Storm Drains during Rainstorms
  •  MOTOR OIL: Whether dripping from an auto engine or poured down the gutter or storm drain, motor oil travels to your local stream, where it damages or kills underwater grasses and aquatic life. One quart of oil can contaminate up to 250,000 gallons of water and create an oil slick two-acres in size.
  •  ANTIFREEZE: Antifreeze is a toxic chemical that is poisonous to people, as well as fish, birds, and pets. Animals that live or drink from streams, lakes, or gutters contaminated with anti-freeze could become seriously ill or even die.
  •  PAINT: Many paint products harm people, animals, and the environment when improperly used or disposed of.
  •  YARD WASTE: When left in the gutter or dumped into storm drains, yard wastes travel directly to the Bay. Once in the water, yard wastes decompose rapidly. This process adds excessive nutrients to the Bay, which is detrimental to wildlife.
  •  PLASTICS & BUTTS: Plastics and cigarette butts wash into storm drains and into the Bay. They do not decompose. Plastics can kill wildlife when animals eat them or become entangled in them.

 

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The City of Aberdeen has some suggestions that you can do to improve storm water quality wherever you go

    If your car engine leaks oil, get it fixed.

 
    If you change your own oil or anti-freeze, bring them in separate containers to the collection facility at 341 Michael  Lane in Aberdeen for proper disposal.

 

  

Tell others to keep their butts (cigarette) out of the road.

 

    Don’t over-fertilize your lawn. During a hard rain, excess fertilizer runs off the grass and down the storm drain. The water and fertilizer eventually flow to the Bay. The excess nutrients cause algae blooms in the Bay that robs wildlife of an adequate oxygen supply and kills off part of the population of fish, crabs and other animals.

 

Water Pollution in The Chesapeake Bay

(Information from: The Chesapeake Bay Foundation)

Too Much Nitrogen Is Bad for the Bay

  • Nutrients--primarily nitrogen and phosphorus--are essential for the growth of all living organisms in the Chesapeake Bay. However, excessive nitrogen and phosphorus degrade the Bay's water quality. 
  • Nitrogen pollution is the most serious pollution problem for the Bay because it causes algae blooms that consume oxygen, which lowers dissolved oxygen levels so severely that fish and shellfish die.
  • When the algae die, they decompose and consume oxygen. Some deep channels can become so low in oxygen that they can no longer support aquatic life. This is known as the "dead zone."
  • The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s health index, called the State of the Bay Report, estimates that the Chesapeake Bay watershed rated 100 on a scale of 100 in the 1600s. In 2002, CBF's State of the Bay Report again rated the Bay at 27 out of 100.
  • As land use patterns change and the watershed's population grows, the amount of nutrients entering the Bay's waters increases tremendously.
  • Each year, roughly 300 million pounds of polluting nitrogen reaches the Chesapeake Bay. Goals outlined in the new Bay agreement, called Chesapeake 2000, call for reducing nitrogen by 150 million pounds and phosphorus by 16 million pounds annually.

 

TURTLE GAMES VIDEO (click here)

 

Other sites to visit to learn more about the Chesapeake Bay