NPDES issues and storm water discharge programs are a vital part of our clean water resources and therefore we need to be concerned with how we approach these things. Many time folks do things they think are not too harmful but can cause problems.
Such as dumping waste oil on weeds along an embankment next to a canal or ditch, that is used for farm water or goes into a creek or river and is used down stream for fresh water supplies for a city. It only takes one gallon of diesel fuel to contaminate 1 million gallons of fresh water.
Folks often do not realize such things and all too often we see other minor abuses such as people cleaning their spokes on the rims of their car with acids and home cleaning products. If these chemicals are made for the house they are suppose to go into the city sewer treatment system not flow down the driveway into the storm drain and into a river.
Soapy carwash suds, engine degreasers and such also can be bad news. One person doing this is not an environmental disaster but if the city has 400,000 people in it and 10-20% do not care or do not realize it then it is a significant problem for our environment and the over all eco-system.
Many cities are careful to put stenciled notifications on storm drains to remind people that that water leads to the ocean or to the river. This is one good public-relations strategy, but it does even better if those stenciled notices are painted by local residents and volunteers and this is promoted in the media much like Earth Day. NPDES public relations program are paramount to getting the word out and keeping our environment clean. Please consider this in 2006.
"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/ |
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