What is Stormwater Management?
Stormwater Management is the process of controlling the runoff from precipitation (i.e, rain or snow) that flows off of impervious surfaces like parking lots, driveways, sidewalks, and rooftops. Unchecked stormwater flows from these hard surfaces to streets and gutters, which carry the untreated runoff to nearby receiving waters.
Stormwater runoff does not go to a treatment plant before discharging into the area’s receiving waters, and it can carry pollutants like motor oil, pet waste, fertilizers, pesticides, grass clippings, leaves, litter, trash, debris, and sediment into nearby waterways. All of these items negatively impact the water quality of our rivers, streams, and ponds.
Techniques to manage stormwater runoff include the use of vegetation and mulch to protect bare soil areas from erosion along with the use of Best Management Practices (BMPs) that are designed to slow velocity, reduce volume, and limit the rate of runoff in an effort to reduce the quantity and improve the quality of stormwater runoff before it reaches the receiving waters.