Why is stormwater important?
Stormwater is water from rain — or melting snow — that does not quickly soak into the ground. Stormwater flows from rooftops, over paved areas and bare soil, and through sloped lawns and fields. As it flows, this runoff collects and transports soil, pet waste, pesticides, fertilizer, oil and grease, leaves, litter, and other potential pollutants that ultimately wind up in local bodies of water. A...
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Where can I take my old paint?
Households are filled with many hazardous materials. These can include any product that can be flammable, corrosive, caustic, explosive, reactive, toxic or poisonous.As you can imagine, this list includes a variety of different products within your household, including paint. If hazardous household products, like paint, are improperly disposed of, they can pose a great threat to both human and ecosystem...
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What is the big deal with pet waste?
Believe it or not, pet waste is not good fertilizer for your front yard, or anyone else’s. Pet waste contains bacteria, viruses and parasites that can be detrimental to water quality if it is not picked up and disposed of properly. Rain will pick up pet waste and deposit it into the rivers, ponds, lakes and the ocean where we all swim and catch fish from, which can cause significant health concerns....
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How does my pond play a role?
Stormwater ponds are a common feature in the South Carolina coastal landscape, and are often advertised as “amenities” to homebuyers who wish to live near a water feature. However, these ponds, also known as detention and retention ponds, are designed not to be neighborhood amenities, but instead to capture stormwater runoff, and help reduce flooding and erosion by slowing the flow of stormwater....
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How can a rain garden help?
Increased development and impervious surfaces like roads, rooftops and parking lots are reducing the amount of water that can be absorbed by the ground and increasing the amount of contaminants that wash off these surfaces into near by stormwater collection systems and ultamately into our rivers, lakes, streams and ocean. Contrary to popular belief, stormwater does not get diverted to a water treatment...
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Where should I wash my car?
Much like oil, antifreeze, brake fluid and other automotive fluids, dirty car soap from washing your car will also wash off your driveway into stormdrains and ditches and wind up in the surrounding rivers, lakes, streams and ocean. It is important to be cautious of how these products that we never really consider as environmentally threatening can effect our water quality. There are a few things that can...
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What is an illicit discharge?
The United States Environmental Protection Agency defines an illicit discharge as, “any discharge into a storm drain system that is not composed entirely of stormwater.” This means that anything other than simply the water that falls from the sky is an illicit discharge. There are many hazardous household products, yardcare products, fertilizers, dog waste, car soaps and automotive fluids that...
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How can I help?
There are many things that you can do to minimize stormwater pollution and protect water quality. Some of these are participating in volunteer and educational programs and activities and some are simple things you can do in your own yard. The Coastal Waccamaw Stormwater Education Consortium (CWSEC) website is an excellent resource to learn about all of these different opportunities and what you can do to...
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