Now that’s it’s officially summer, it’s a good time to remember
that “only rain goes down the storm drain”. Although storm drain
systems are designed to protect our communities from wintertime
flooding, our local storm drains do not stay dry all summer long.
Non-storm water runoff is made up of those flows that do not
consist of rainwater. These discharges may originate from lawn
watering overspray, hosing down sidewalks, personal car washing,
pool and spa drainage, or even illegal dumping of waste water from
construction activities. These dry weather flows can have high
concentrations of water pollutants such as metals, bacteria,
pesticides, fertilizers, and sediment.
Preventing non-storm water dry weather flows to the storm drain
protects water quality while also conserving valuable water
resources. Here are a few suggestions on how you can help:
• Use efficient irrigation techniques in your yard. To conserve
water and minimize runoff, try implementing the following measures
in your yard:
– Use drip irrigation instead of spray irrigation wherever
possible.
– Plant drought-tolerant plants and minimize lawn areas. Native
plants are often good choices because they are adapted to our
climate.
– Irrigate between midnight and 6:00 a.m. to reduce water loss
from evaporation and wind.
– Put your irrigation system on a timer. Most irrigation timers
can be programmed for several short run times overnight, allowing
more water to soak into the soil without runoff.
– Use mulch around plants and shrubs, and on all bare soil
areas. Mulch controls weeds, reduces soil erosion, and helps the
soil retain moisture.
– Minimize impervious surfaces. If you’re thinking about
extending your driveway, adding a patio, or paving a side yard,
consider using permeable pavers or porous concrete instead of
traditional concrete.
– Limit the use of pesticides and fertilizers in your yard.
These products can be harmful to aquatic life.
• Use a broom, not a hose, to clean driveway, deck or patio.
Using water to wash these areas is wasteful and unnecessary, and in
many communities a violation of water conservation regulations.
• Take your car to a carwash facility. When you wash your car
in your driveway, the soapy wash water can run down the driveway,
into the gutter, down the storm drain, and into a local creek. Most
carwash facilities treat and recycle their wash water, thereby
protecting water quality and conserving water. In addition, car
wash facilities discharge to the sanitary sewer, not to the storm
drain. If your organization is considering holding a car wash as a
fund-raiser, you must set up the site so the wash water does not
drain to the storm drain. See http://www.sonoma-county.org/prmd/sw/pp-home-carwash.htm
or call the Sonoma County Permit & Resource Management Division
(Storm Water Section) at 565-2098 for further information.
• Drain your pool or spa to the sanitary sewer or to landscaped
areas on your property. It is illegal to drain pools, spas and
pool/spa filter backwash to the storm drain without proper
authorization. Chlorinated water is deadly to fish and aquatic
life, and should be drained onto the ground or into the sanitary
sewer. See
http://www.sonoma-county.org/health/eh/pdf/stormwater_pools_smaller.pdf
for more information.
• Control runoff during construction activities. Water
associated with de-watering/groundwater pumping and cleanup from
concrete and mortar must not be allowed to enter the storm drain
system or creeks. Using concrete washouts and pumping to a truck or
contained vegetative area is generally required.
The Russian River Watershed Association
(www.rrwatershed.org) is an association of nine cities, counties
and special districts in the watershed that are working together on
programs for clean water, fisheries restoration and watershed
enhancement. This article was authored by Janice Gilligan, Sonoma
County – Permit & Resource Management Division and Phoebe Grow,
Russian River Watershed Association.
