Why is stormwater a problem and why all the recent fuss about it??
When rain falls on grass, wooded areas and other undeveloped land, the water soaks into the ground or slowly drains into lakes and streams. Urban areas have less green space and more hard surfaces such as concrete and rooftops that do not allow rainwater to be absorbed. These impervious surfaces create stormwater “runoff” that moves quickly and picks up pollutants from residential and commercial activities. This leads to flooding, water pollution and erosion problems. The federal Clean Water Act requires large and medium sized towns across the United States to take steps to reduce polluted stormwater runoff. The law was applied in two phases. The first phase addressed large cities. The second phase, often referred to as “Phase II”, requires medium and small cities, fast growing cities and those located near sensitive waters to take steps to manage stormwater.
