Impaired water quality
Contaminants , such as oil , grease , metals , and pesticides tend to build up on surfaces in urbanized areas . The contaminants come from sources such as pavement deterioration , tire and brake pad wear , vehicle emissions and spills . The may also come from yard and garden care , and pet feces . Stormwater runoff picks up these substances and transports them DIRECTLY to lakes , streams , rivers , or wetlands . In most cases , whatever enters a storm sewer system is discharged UNTREATED into the water bodies we use for swimming and fishing and from which we get our drinking water .
Degradation of water quality can also result in a decline in plant and animal diversity .
BOX 1
STORMWATER CONTAMINANT Suspended Solids / Sediment Nutrients ( Nitrogen & Phosphorus )
SOURCE Construction sites & roads
Fertilizers , pet wastes , yard wastes , soaps & detergents
Metals Oil & Grease Bacteria Pesticides and Herbicides
Cars Cars , leaks , spills Pet wastes Yard and garden care
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency ( USEPA ), pollutants in stormwater discharges remain a significant source of environmental impacts to water quality . The National Water Quality Inventory , 2002 Report to Congress provides a general assessment of water quality based on reports submitted by the states every 2 years under Section 305 ( b ) of the Clean Water Act . This report indicates that stormwater discharges ( from sources including separate storm sewers , construction , waste disposal , and resource extraction ) are MAJOR causes of water quality impairment .
Key Terms : CLEAN WATER ACT ( CWA ): the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution . Also known as the Federal Water Pollution Control Act .
WATER QUALITY : the physical , chemical and biological characteristics of water . The term is most frequently used to explain a set of standards against which compliance can be assessed . In lay terms , it is the safety and / or purity of water .
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