CURBS TO CREEKS : THE STORM DRAIN CONNECTION
Water running off lawns , gardens , roofs , and paved areas like streets , sidewalks , driveways , and parking lots empties into the storm drain system . The storm drain system consists of street gutters , catch basins , underground pipes , open channels , culverts , and creeks . The storm drain system in Arlington is designed to carry this runoff directly into local creeks or into the Trinity River without treatment to remove pollutants .
The storm drain system is separate from the sanitary sewer system , which collects wastewater from most households and commercial sources through indoor plumbing . Water in the sanitary sewer is treated at a wastewater treatment plant before being discharged into local water sources .
Impervious surfaces are paved or hard areas where water will not soak into the soil . Impervious surfaces cover more than half of urban areas thus less water soaks into the ground during heavy rains . As more natural surfaces are paved and developed , less water percolates into the ground and more water runs over streets and other surfaces picking up pollutants and depositing them directly into creeks . In addition , increases the runoff to the storm drain system intensify peak stream flows and contribute to flooding problems .
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