Why is rain or water runoff major sources of pollution and contamination?
The same rain that helps fill reservoirs, swells rivers, and makes plants, trees and crops grow washes over dirty city streets, over piles of industrial waste, etc. Eventually the fallen rain, now called `runoff,’ goes directly into surface drinking water sources or seeps down through the ground into underground water aquifers, carrying germs or chemicals – or both – with it. Over-watering is also ‘runoff.’ As water runs off of lawns, flower beds, streets, parking lots and down the gutters it can become contaminated. Even though it takes a long time for water to soak in and reach the aquifer, it can still carry some of these pollutants. The City is then forced to treat the well sites to get rid of the contamination, which can be very expensive. Customers eventually could see this cost reflected in their bills. Landscape watering (lawns, flowerbeds) accounts for about 60% of the home water use in Fresno. Over half of that water is not used by plants. Adjust watering practices to keep wa
