Stormwater Monitoring
Stormwater is excess runoff from rain and snowmelt events that flows over land or impervious surfaces, such as paved streets, parking lots, and building rooftops, and does not soak into the ground.
Some of the concerns around stormwater are that "the runoff picks up pollutants like trash, chemicals, oils, and dirt/sediment that can harm our rivers, streams, lakes, and coastal waters" -- and human health. Source: EPA Stormwater Program
Lead image from Dr. Gloria Horning's work
How is stormwater regulated?
Stormwater is one of the pollutants that is regulated under the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). "The NPDES stormwater program regulates some stormwater discharges from three potential sources: municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s), construction activities, and industrial activities."
How is stormwater monitored?
Monitoring for stormwater can be challenging. Monitoring activities could explore facets of stormwater such as:
- The depth and duration of standing water in an area,
- How much rainwater can be harvested from an area,
- How much water can be absorbed by an area,
- How different ground covers react to stormwater events, and
- How well infrastructure is working to handle stormwater runoff.
This page was created to compile some activities, questions, updates and projects surrounding issues of stormwater. Click the links below to add to this growing resource!
Stormwater Activities
How to report pollution entering your local stormwater system in the US
Post by @bhamster 5 | over 3 years ago
Catch Basins 101: How to clean a catch basin with one person in 68 minutes.
Post by @dmunchak 10 | 7 years ago
Frequently Asked Questions
Updates
Project Pages
- 2018 Pensacola Stormwater Project
- 2017 New Orleans Stormwater Workshop Series
- 2016 New Orleans Flood Sensing Project **
Lead image from Commons Wikimedia
