In partnership with Mecklenburg County
LUESA Air Quality and Solid Waste Divisions, and
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities Mecklenburg Utility
Sponsored by the Environmental Assistance Office (EAO) for Small
Business at UNC Charlotte, The
Environmental Corner is designed
to serve as an environmental management and pollution prevention
resource.
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Stormwater Management
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IN THIS ISSUE:
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What is stormwater?
When a rainfall event
occurs, many things can happen to the precipitation:
it can infiltrate into soil surfaces, it can be soaked up
by plants, and even evaporated into the atmosphere.
So what happens when the rainfall doesn’t find its way
into these areas?
It becomes stormwater.
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Stormwater
discharges are generated by precipitation and runoff
from land, pavements, building rooftops and other
surfaces. These hardened surfaces are called ‘impervious
surfaces’ and they do not allow rainfall to infiltrate
into the soil surface, so more rainfall becomes
stormwater runoff.
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What’s the problem with stormwater runoff?
Rainwater and snowmelt run off streets,
lawns, construction and industrial sites and pick up
fertilizers, dirt, pesticides, oil and grease, and many other
pollutants on the way to our rivers, lakes, and coastal waters.
Pollutants such as oil and grease, bacteria,
metals and other chemicals accumulate into stormwater runoff as
it treks across land.
Heavy precipitation or snowmelt can also cause sewer
overflows that may contaminate water sources with untreated
human and industrial waste, toxic materials, and other debris.
Stormwater can pick up this debris and flow into a storm sewer
system or directly into a lake, river, or stream.
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Why should stormwater and polluted runoff be managed?
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Guess what
the number one cause of water pollution is in North
Carolina?
That’s correct – polluted stormwater runoff.
Stormwater is responsible for contaminating over
100,000 acres of shellfish waters with bacteria.
Rivers and sounds supporting oysters and clams
are considered the most sensitive waters in the state.
According to the North Carolina Department of
Environment and Natural Resources,
in most cases in North Carolina today, stormwater either
does not receive any treatment before it enters our
waterways or is inadequately treated.
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It is cheaper to prevent pollution from entering
our streams and creeks than cleaning the
polluted water.
Communities that use surface water for
their drinking supply must pay much more to
clean up polluted water than clean water.
Polluted water hurts the wildlife in
creeks, streams, rivers and lakes. Dirt from
erosion covers up fish habitats and fertilizers
can cause too much algae to grow, which also
hurts wildlife by using up the oxygen they need
to survive. Soaps hurt fish gills and fish skin,
and other chemicals damage plants and animals
when they enter the water.
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http://www.blueprintforwater.org.uk |
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Is anyone doing
anything about stormwater?
Charlotte is grateful to have caring professionals who are more than
willing to offer services involving stormwater.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services (CMSWS) works hard to
manage water quantity and improve water quality for all Mecklenburg
County residents.
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In order to manage water quantity, CMSWS
provides a quality storm drainage system that is safe, clean
and cost-effective, maps floodplains while managing
floodplain development, and preserves and restores natural
stream channels.
CMSWS also
improves the quality of our creeks, streams and lakes by
monitoring pollutant levels in surface water, investigating
spills or illegal dumping, and enforcing ordinances designed
to protect water quality.
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Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water
Services is developing detailed guidance for citizens and
businesses about the do’s and don’ts of vehicle/equipment
washing, pressure washing and general surface cleaning
operations. These practices are very widespread and
varied, so general statements about what is and isn’t
allowed are not practical. However, it is quite clear
at this point that the following commercial discharges are
not allowed in the storm drain system:
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Commercial
vehicle washing discharges using detergents and other
cleaning agents
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Pressure
washing of parking lots and parking decks, regardless of
whether detergents or cleaners are used
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Commercial
pressure washing of sidewalks, buildings and structures
using detergents and other cleaning agents
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Pressure
washing or hosing off restaurant back areas (dumpsters,
grease bins, loading dock, and paved areas around them)
CMSWS will be working with various
agencies and groups to develop the guidance. Look for
the final guidance material by the end of 2008.
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LEARN MORE ABOUT CMSWS |
WHAT DOES STORMWATER SERVICES DO FOR ME?
READ MORE ABOUT STORMWATER POLLUTION AND WATER QUALITY
ORDINANCE IN MECKLENBURG COUNTY
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What can I
do at my business in Mecklenburg County to prevent stormwater pollution?
There are a number of simple measures which you can take to prevent
stormwater pollution at your business. We have highlighted some of
the basic precautions which are as follows:
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Ensure that water containing
detergents (even biodegradable) or other pollutants are not
discharged to storm drainage system, the ground, streams, lakes
or any other surface waters.
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Ensure that all yard waste is
either composted on-site or is disposed of properly.
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Properly dispose of all
unused lawn chemicals by taking them to hazardous waste
collection/disposal site.
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Used or old paint, chemicals,
any water containing pollutants generated from the cleaning of
paint brushes, painting equipment or tools and other pollutants
cannot be dumped or washed into sanitary sewers, storm drainage
systems, streams, lakes, or the surface of the ground.
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Ensure that cooking grease is
disposed of properly in approved containers for recycling.
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Ensure that washing/mop water
is disposed of properly to the sanitary sewer system.
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Ensure that all drains
carrying wastewater from facility discharge to sanitary sewer
system and not to the storm drainage system.
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To reduce the negative
impacts that sewage or wastewater discharges can have on the
environment and prevent fines, take action to stop overflows or
illicit discharges immediately.
LEARN WHAT YOU MUST DO AS A BUSINESS LOCATED IN MECKLENBURG COUNTY
TO KEEP OUR WATER CLEAN
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What can I
do at home to prevent stormwater pollution?
Do you wash your vehicle on your
driveway? Do
you use a hose to clean your driveway?
Do you have downspouts or drain pipes that empty
water into the street or storm sewer system?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you
are contributing to water pollution.
Everyone in North Carolina, in some form
or another, contributes to water pollution.
Fortunately, there is something for everyone to do to
improve water quality.
Click the link below to read a brochure of strategies
to reduce water pollution.
Remember, you are the key to protecting the water
quality of North Carolina.
“Improving
Water Quality in Your Own Backyard”
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What
do the rules say about stormwater?
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The Clean Water Act (CWA).
This Act was amended
in 1977 as a result of growing public awareness and
concern for controlling water pollution.
The Act established the basic structure for
regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of
the United States.
The Act made it unlawful for any person to
discharge any pollutant from a point source into
navigable waters, unless a permit was obtained.
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MORE INFO HERE
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National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES).
NPDES
was created in 1972 under the Clean Water Act and has
made a significant impact on the improvement of our
nation’s water quality.
It is responsible for controlling and regulating
point sources of discharge of pollutants to waters
within each state to maintain, protect, and restore the
water quality of streams, lakes, and rivers.
NPDES is divided into two phases.
Phase I, instituted in 1990, requires NPDES
permit coverage for large cities.
Phase II, instituted in 1999, requires smaller
communities to be permitted and to develop and implement
a stormwater management program that includes six
measures.
READ MORE HERE
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NCDENR is responsible for
administering North Carolina’s stormwater management
program and the state is responsible for administering
all NPDES permits.
North Carolina’s NPDES program is closely modeled
after the federal NPDES program requiring stormwater to
be treated to the maximum extent practicable.
Here are a few North Carolina requirements:
- All construction sites disturbing more than one
acre are required to obtain permit coverage
- Many industrial sites are required to obtain
permit coverage
- All designated Municipal Separate Storm Water
Systems (MS4s) are required to obtain permit
coverage
READ MORE N.C. RULES AND REGULATIONS HERE
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Stormwater
Management Practice
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Stormwater Best Management Practice (BMPs)
are implemented as a way of treating or limiting
pollutants and other damaging effects of
stormwater runoff in order to meet legislative
and North Carolina Administrative Code
requirements. There are two major categories of
BMPs: non-structural and
structural. Both non-structural and structural
BMPs are discussed in more detail in the NC BMP
Manual.
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NC BMP Manual
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT NC BMP |
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Environmental
Assistance Office (EAO) for Small Business
The Environmental Assistance Office for Small Business
provides non-regulatory, client-confidential pollution
prevention assistance to small businesses in the greater
Charlotte region. The EAO is designed to assist regional
businesses in their efforts to voluntarily prevent
pollution. The EAO staff can provide timely assistance
for pollution prevention planning, including information
about industry-specific case studies, waste-specific
case studies, and new technologies. The office provides
links of resources to needs between the region's
business community, government, municipality, and
university. If there is a particular issue or question
you would like to see in an upcoming edition, please
send an e-mail to
EAOforSB@email.uncc.edu
Contact Information:
Environmental Assistance Office for Small Business:
9201 University City Blvd. 258 Cameron Building, UNC
Charlotte, Charlotte, NC 28233-0001
Phone number: 704-687-3968 Fax number: 704-687-3115
Email:
EAOforSB@email.uncc.edu
Services:
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Assistance with Air Permits - Assistance for small
businesses in completing paperwork for EPA air permits.
· Educational Materials - Educational pamphlet, brochures,
flyers, and other materials to relate facts on pollution
prevention.
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Educational Outreach - Develop educational outreach
campaigns and presentations for the public or employee
training.
· University Resources - Library information, faculty
expertise, student projects and research at both
graduate and undergraduate levels.
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