RESOURCES
Storm Water Enforcement Can Land You In Hot
Water
By now you’ve certainly heard about the updated regulations
aimed at preventing pollution in our ocean, bays and recreational
waters. But it seems that some people are still conducting
business as usual when it comes to cleaning sidewalks, patios
and other surfaces at their facilities. After all, what harm
is there is letting a little debris go down into the gutters?
Plenty!
Gutters feed into the storm drain system, which was built
for flood control purposes and carrying away rainwater. Storm
water is not treated like the water in the sewage system –
it flows directly into our creeks, bays, lagoons and ultimately
the ocean. And this is not just an issue for coastal communities
and businesses. Studies show that 90% of pollution is attributed
to daily urban activities unrelated to the sewer system. The
Storm Water Conveyance System begins at the gutter or drainage
pipes at your facility.
When Mayor Murphy first took office in the City of San Diego,
he formed a Clean Water Task force. One of the top goals was
to decrease beach postings and closures by 50%. With one year
left in his current term, it was announced that the goal was
already reached and surpassed – by 11%. The city tackled
the troublesome sewer system with repairs and replacements.
But experts estimate that the sewer only contributes about
10% of the pollution. This has efforts on behalf of the storm
water system in the spotlight.
Just five months into the new regulations and stepped up
enforcement and education has made people more aware of the
consequences of pollution entering the untreated storm drain
system. Karen Henry, Deputy Director of San Diego’s
Storm Water Division, is thankful to those who have not only
complied with the program. But she also attributes the increased
enforcement to the calls that come into the hotline from concerned
citizens. “Our staff can’t be everywhere but we
can issue violations or investigations based on the reports
we receive from the community.” More than 500 businesses
have been cited thus far.
The City of San Diego is certainly not the only one concerned
with water pollution from storm drains. The rules on runoff
apply to all 18 cities in the county, the San Diego Unified
Port District and most of the county west of the mountains
in the Cleveland National Forest. The San Diego Regional Water
Quality Control Board has representation from the cities of
Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Coronado, Del Mar, El Cajon, Encinitas,
Escondido, Imperial Beach, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, National
City, Oceanside, Poway, San Diego, San Marcos, Santee, Solana
Beach, and Vista as well as The County of San Diego and the
San Diego County Airport Authority. Websites for each of these
entities contain information on their concern and programs
to address the issue. As far inland as El Cajon they have
the mantra, “Only rain in the storm drain. Storm water
regulations go on up with many layers of state and federal
legislations addressing this issue.
Okay, so all you’re hosing is a little dust and dirt.
What can that hurt? Much of the harmful bacteria is carried
by dirt or sediment. The removal of sediment or preventing
its transport to our recreational waters is the major aim
of most storm water pollution controls. A beautiful beach
is made up of sand, not sediment.
Some of the most harmful pollutants that make their way into
storm water system include:
- Animal waste – bird waste contains more bacteria
than that of cats and dog;
- Cigarette butts – one or two seem harmless but
about a million are tossed each month;
- Motor oil – one gallon pollutes a million gallons
of water;
- Pesticides and Fertilizers – upset the natural
balance of the ocean’s ecosystem;
- Trash – most of this is not biodegradable and can
kill wildlife, especially plastic.
Think Blue San Diego is a valuable resource in this campaign.
They operate a vigorous educational program to combat the
problem of storm water pollution. Of the many documents available
on their website is one dealing exactly with the ‘Impervious
Surface Cleaning.’ If you still have questions about
cleaning your sidewalks and other paved surfaces, go to http://www.thinkbluesd.org/brochures/Impervious_Surfaces.htm.
Lawrence McGuire, Senior Public Affairs Officer for the Storm
Water Program and Think Blue, points to a new education program
directed to the business community. Included in all business
license renewals and tax certificate mailings will be a pamphlet
with more information on the hazards of storm water pollution.
“This will go out to some 7,500 businesses per month
and alert them again to their responsibility.”
In a region that averages only nine inches of rain in a good
year, an element of water conservation is also valuable. Sweeping
sidewalks and patios is always a good first line of defense
followed by wet mopping. But any method involving hosing or
power washing must follow the three C’s – Control,
Contain and Capture.
- Control – be aware of the nearest storm drain so
that you can avoid it.
- Contain – prevent water from running into the storm
drain.
- Capture – reclaim all water used by using a wet-vacuum
or similar method.
Power washers are experiencing increased cost and difficulties
due to the new regulations. Will Berry of the Clean and Safe
San Diego program has found that a job that used to take one
man with power washer just a short amount of time, now takes
two men about three times as long.
Then there is the concern of where to dispose of the wash
water. In some instances it can be discharged onto landscaped
areas. But this may not a good idea if there are contaminants
which could ultimately harm the plantscape. Alternately, it
may be flushed into the sanitary sewer system - but be cautious
about the possibility of large amounts of sediments and the
harm they can cause to your plumbing. New methods are now
becoming available that control, contain and capture all in
one step as well as utilizing other “green” methods.
Whatever method you use, compliance is much better than noncompliance.
Fines range from hundreds to thousands of dollars. And, in
the long run, compliance will mean you are doing your share
to protect our ocean and bays from pollution.
Brenda Nielson and Cris Canning own and operate Simply Sidewalks
– an environmentally friendly service for cleaning concrete
and brickwork. The totally self-contained system cleans and
captures all in one step using a minimal amount of water.
They can be reached at (858) 602-7093 or at info@simplysidewalks.com.
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