Clean water supply is critical for our overall health and sustainability. Most of our sources of fresh water is replenished by rainfall. Stormwater, often laden with pollutants and contaminants, poses a significant threat to our clean water supply. Once it hits the ground, this tainted precipitation can infiltrate our waterways, soil, and aquifers, jeopardizing the very essence of our health and sustainability. Clean water supply is critical for our overall well-being; it affects everything from drinking water to agricultural productivity.
Florida’s urbanization growth dramatically affects the ability for rainfall to adequately absorb into the ground. If rainfall has difficulty absorbing into the ground and inefficiently replenishing the water supply, it must go somewhere. With the increase of impervious landscapes, stormwater now runs along streets, parking lots, and other impermeable unclean surfaces and becomes polluted until it finds its way to a storm drain, basin, or eventually the ground.
Stormwater pollution has now become a major concern. Our intricate stormwater system certainly assists in carrying our stormwater efficiently away but does not reduce pollutants from entering our water bodies. When rainfall hits impervious and hard surfaces, it runs off quickly, carrying pollutants and debris into storm drains and waterways. This not only diminishes the quality of the water we rely on but also exacerbates flooding and erosion issues.
Discharge of stormwater containing pollutants often leads to contamination of receiving waterbodies. Stormwater runoff can carry various pollutants such as sediment, oil, grease, heavy metals, pesticides, and nutrients from construction activities and industrial areas into nearby water bodies. This can result in contamination of rivers, lakes, and streams, leading to water quality degradation, harm to aquatic ecosystems, and potential risks to human health.
Construction and new development increase the number of impervious surfaces such as concrete, asphalt, and rooftops. These surfaces do not allow water to infiltrate into the ground, causing more runoff during rainfall events. The environment can also become strained due to the modifications of our landscape if we do not effectively develop the best management practices to reduce the risk of various contaminants and pollution flowing into our waterways derived from stormwater runoff.
Every new construction development should define a good stormwater management team and integrate a stormwater management process at the beginning of a project. We have found this is a cost-effective approach to reduce and prevent potential pollution and contaminants leaving the construction site.
KCI can help you with your stormwater management efforts and incorporate the right BMP structural needs into your site design. Call us today, on 888-346-7779.
