|
Home > Public Works > Stormwater
Stormwater
Please Join us for the City's
Annual Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program (SWPPP) Meeting
As part of the regular Community Services Commission meeting, a public meeting has been scheduled for the purposes of:
- Review of the City of Richfield's Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program (SWPPP)
- Solicit public opinion on the program
- Consider written and oral input into the Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program (SWPPP)
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
7:00 p.m. at the Richfield Community Center (7000 Nicollet)
What is storm water?
Storm water is the water that flows across the ground and pavement when it rains or when snow and ice melt. The water seeps into the ground or drains into city storm sewers. These are the drains you see at street corners or at low points on the sides of your streets. Collectively, the draining water is called storm water runoff.
 Where does the storm water go?
Storm water that does not seep into the ground drains into systems of underground pipes and is released into wetlands, ponds, and lakes.
Why can storm water runoff be a problem?
Water that runs off our property during a rainstorm is the number one cause of water pollution according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Storm water can pick up debris, chemicals, dirt, and other pollutants and flow into a storm sewer system or directly to wetlands, ponds, and lakes. Anything that enters a storm sewer system is discharged untreated into the waterbodies we use for swimming, fishing, and providing drinking water.
Water Runoff Prevention
The key to keeping our ponds, lakes and rivers clean is to encourage the water to soak into the ground on our property. And there is help available so that you can do your part. Typical Best Management Practices include:
To learn more about these best practices, be sure to visit the Rice Creek Watershed District?s Blue Thumb-Planting for Clean Water website.
Storm Water Management / Watershed District Information
A watershed is the area of land that collects and transports rainfall and snow melt to a given lake, stream, or wetland. Watersheds can be a few square miles in size, as in the case of a small lake, or continental in size, as in the case of the Mississippi River.
A watershed district is a special purpose unit of local government. Its area is based on watershed boundaries and its purpose is to manage water resources. By managing water resources on a watershed basis, communities can better work together to prevent and correct such problems as flooding, polluted lakes, and eroding stream banks.
Additional Information
Richfield Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program (SWPPP)
Minnesota Water Connection -- Water Saving Ideas
Pollution Control Agency -- Household Hazardous Waste
Annual SWPPP Meeting Presentation
|
