Storm drain filters capture the three most common materials that otherwise could end up in landfills and stormwater drains: food and candy wrappers, discarded paper, and cigarette butts. Though these are by far the most seen products getting trapped, a University of California study found that filters for stormwater treatment were effective at capturing and removing more than 80 percent of lead and more than 54 percent of copper as well. The take home here? By capturing these materials through a stormwater management system before they head to a stormwater drain, the health of the environment and the people living in it is forever altered for the better.
These facts demonstrate the utmost need for a properly implemented and highly effective stormwater management system. A stormwater management system uses a series of products that effectively trap materials so that fish can be kept away from toxins and the water people drink can stay fresh. Fish in particular are extremely negatively affected by not having a stormwater management system in effect. Various California freshwater sites were monitored from 2001 and 2010, for example, showing that more than 50 percent of collection sites had toxicity or pollution on some level. A stormwater management system helps a waterway’s health, including its fauna and flora, by taking into account its chemical, physical and biological assessments.
The materials commonly used with a stormwater management system include a catch basin insert, a series of stormwater filters and some sort of storm drainage system to effectively trap it all. While there was not always a government regulation on such processes for effective stormwater treatment, now there is and now all developers and commercial enterprises where stormwater systems could be affected must comply with strict regulations. This first began in 1987, when the Clean Water Act was created and the government started requiring developers and others to employ effective stormwater controls, though the actual regulations kicked in three years later in 1990.
Through having a stormwater drainage system installed and a proper stormwater management system in place, homeowners, property owners, and business owners can be assured that anything going through their properties will not significantly harm or damage the natural environment that surrounds them. This also means they have a lesser likelihood of being fined for not properly disposing of stormwater or of being charged with stormwater pollution, which could get extremely costly pretty quickly and could end up being detrimental to a business.
