Environmental Tips 101: Best Management Practices To Prevent Stormwater Pollution

By Author: Sharon Strock
Total Articles: 1
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You probably have heard environmental activists say that stormwater pollution isn’t made by a person alone; it’s perpetrated by an entire population in a specific area. You have to understand there are people who can contribute to the prevention of stormwater pollution. This being said, here they are and the best practices to prevent stormwater pollution from escalating.

Restaurant Owners

Restaurants produce huge amounts of FOG (fat, oil, and grease), which are needed in kitchens. Oftentimes, FOG finds its way down drainage systems which can cause a devastating impact to the environment. To minimize the impact, restaurant owners would often advise their employees about proper management of FOG, proper disposal of grease bins, and pumping of grease from the restaurant’s drainage system regularly.

Pet Owners

Some pet owners opt to just leave their pet’s waste on the yard, ground, sidewalks, and streets, not knowing the effects it can cause once it washes down the stormwater drainage. Pet owners should flush droppings down the toilet, or compost them, or wrap them in plastic and throw them properly ...
... in the trash bin.

Homeowners

An effective management of storm water systems always starts at home. Every family member should practice how to handle waste and drainage systems properly to ensure that stormwater pollution is prevented and avoided. The proper maintenance of a car, regular sweeping of dirt, composting to grasscycling – these methods play a vital role in preventing stormwater pollution.

People of Authority

Various contractors, architects, stormwater managers, erosion control inspectors, developers, and transportation officials must take part in proper management of storm water systems. The proper approach when constructing establishments or projects would be to use geomembranes and plastic liners to collect harmful pollutants and runoffs accumulated from the site. It’s also important for them to be aware of their surroundings when building projects i.e. must not disturb existing lands through excavation, grading, or stockpiling. They develop stormwater pollution prevention plans.

Nearly Everyone: Rain Garden Installation

Homeowners and technical professionals alike can surely benefit from the construction of rain gardens as part of effective stormwater solutions. It’s basically a landscape feature consisting of vegetation and shrubbery that holds and absorbs water whenever there are massive downpours or storms instead of the water flowing into a street or drainage. Overall, it protects the quality of creeks, oceans, rivers, wetlands, lakes, and other existing waterways and water management systems. Visit clemson.edu/public/carolinaclear/what_you_can_do/ for more information.