When it rains, it drains...
When it rains, stormwater flows over driveways, lawns, streets, and sidewalks, and into storm drains that discharge directly to our streams, lakes, rivers and the ocean.As the stormwater flows along the ground, it picks up oil, trash, chemicals, dirt and other pollutants and discharges these pollutants directly into our waterbodies, the same waterbodies that we use for swimming, fishing and providing drinking water.
By practicing healthy habits, citizens can help keep common pollutants like trash, yard waste, pet waste, pesticides, chemicals and automotive fluids off the ground and out of our stormwater. Check out the following pages to find out what you can do to help keep our water clean!
City of Charleston joins Ashley Cooper Stormwater Education Consortium
A tiny bit at a time, we are polluting our water. Over-fertilizing the lawn, not picking up after the dog, tossing leftover motor oil in the ditch out back — wastes from such routine acts are picked up by rainfall and run through the drainage system into the streams and estuaries.
It's called stormwater runoff and it's considered one of the worst water pollution problems in developed areas. Recent state monitoring has found trouble spots of pollution in tidal creeks feeding Charleston Harbor, largely due to runoff of those wastes from roads, rooftops, parking lots and driveways.
That's why 11 Lowcountry city or county officials have signed a joint resolution to form the Ashley Cooper Stormwater Education Consortium, to combine efforts educating people on how to minimize their impact on the waters.
The effort is mandated by the federal Clean Water Act, part of a larger regulation of utilities that manage stormwater drainage systems. The regulation has led to water and sewer customers being charged stormwater fees.
The sheer difficulty of trying to clean up a pollution source that flows from everywhere has made the regulations a daunting task. By pooling money, the utilities can run newspaper, radio and television ads, among other mass media spots to get the best bang for the buck.
The consortium also will offer more-specialized programs for groups such as homeowner associations and developers on topics such as low-impact development and wetland buffers, and coordinate school programs. It will give members a sounding board for whether ideas like "pooper-scooper" ordinances will work.
See the City of Charleston’s Stormwater Resolution.
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