You may not realize that stormwater runoff can cause a number of environmental problems. Stormwater is runoff generated by land and impervious areas such as paved streets, parking lots, and building rooftops, during rainfall events. Stormwater runoff can also be referred as water that is not immediately absorbed by soil. Stormwater runoff is a natural occurrence. The main concern is the abundance and the possible degradation of water quality can be significantly affected by land development. Florida’s development growth has created more impermeable surfaces and with average rainfall being over 60 inches a year, without a good capacity and efficiency of installed water management infrastructure, stormwater can accumulate quickly. Construction sites that make the necessary adjustments and prevention measures to manage stormwater runoff goes a long way to reduce the negative impacts.
To give some perspective, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency indicates that over 40 percent of U.S. waters assessed are too polluted for fishing or swimming. Why is this the case? The top four impairments are pathogens, metals, nutrients and yes, sediment which are encroaching into our waterways every day because of stormwater.
Nonpoint sources, like stormwater, account for almost half of these polluted waters. To effectively enable the construction industry, Florida’s regulatory approach recognizes stormwater as a nonpoint source and therefore a Best Management Practice (BMP) based approach has been embraced by the state.
The impact of stormwater runoff, and any of the harmful contaminants that it may be carrying can be mitigated through the effective use of erosion control and best management practices. KCI can consult with you and help define appropriate solutions based on your site, your budget, and the type of runoff issues you may be expecting. Call KCI today at 888-346-7779.
