Why is stormwater runoff a problem?
What are the effects of nonpoint source pollution?
What are the problems with stormwater runoff in Fairfax County?
What are the state and federal regulations Fairfax County must follow with regard to stormwater?
What can you do to reduce pollution that is getting into our waterways?
How can you help improve water quality?
Where can you find more information about stormwater management in Fairfax County?
What is stormwater runoff?
Stormwater runoff is the water from rain or snow melt that travels over
roadways, driveways, roofs, parking lots and other impervious surfaces.
Instead of being absorbed into the ground, stormwater runoff in Northern
Virginia travels over these surfaces to storm drains, open channels, and
ditches until it reaches streams, the Potomac River and ultimately water
bodies such as the Chesapeake Bay or Atlantic Ocean.
Why is stormwater runoff a
problem?
Too much stormwater runoff can cause flooding and erosion and can carry
harmful pollutants such as pesticides, fertilizer, litter, car oil, and
pet waste to storm drains or directly to more than 980 miles of streams
in Fairfax County. Streams in the county drain to the Occoquan Reservoir
and Potomac River, which are the sources of drinking water for over a
million Northern Virginia residents. Anything that enters a storm drain
is discharged untreated into water bodies we use for swimming, fishing,
and providing drinking water.
What is impervious
surface?
Impervious surface is any surface that does not allow water to be
absorbed into the ground. In Fairfax County, there are many examples of
impervious surfaces such as roofs of buildings, homes and sheds,
roadways, parking lots, sidewalks, and driveways. The county is made up
of approximately 17 percent impervious surface.
What are the effects of nonpoint
source pollution?
Nonpoint source pollution is water pollution that is difficult to trace
to a specific discharge point. Such pollution comes from many sources
such as yards, roofs, construction sites, automobiles, streets, homes and
businesses, so it is very hard to control. Stormwater runoff often
contains nonpoint source pollutants that flow to our streams, rivers
and bays, adversely affecting water quality, plants, fish, animals, and
people. Here are a few examples of nonpoint source pollutants and
their effects:
- Sediment is soil particles from stream banks and construction sites that are dislodged by stormwater runoff and deposited into streams, lakes, and rivers. Sediment accumulates in water bodies and destroys feeding grounds for aquatic life, clogs fish gills, blocks light, and increases water temperature.
- Nutrients and Organic Debris include phosphorous, nitrogen, and potassium and are found in fertilizer, leaves, grass clippings, sewage, detergents, and animal wastes. These elements are not harmful to the environment in low doses, but excess nutrients in an already healthy environment can be dangerous. Decaying organic matter depletes oxygen needed by aquatic life, leaving fish and shellfish to suffocate. Excess nutrients have been the focus of degradation in the Chesapeake Bay for decades.
- Trash is considered garbage, construction debris, and animal waste. It becomes part of stormwater runoff, entering storm drains and local waterways and clogging the system.
- Toxins are chemicals that can cause human and wildlife health problems. They include organic chemicals and metals, pesticides, herbicides, household chemicals, paint, paint cleaners, gasoline, motor oil, battery acid, antifreeze, and roadway salt.
- Pathogens are a specific causative agent of disease. The presence of bacteria in water, which normally are found in the intestinal tracts of humans and animals, signals that pathogens may be present. This is indicated or measured by fecal coliform or E. coli.
What are the problems with stormwater
runoff in Fairfax County?
As the amount of impervious surface increases, the volume of stormwater
runoff increases, resulting in erosion, flooding, and a swell in the flow
of harmful pollutants through storm drains and to streams. Fairfax County
is made up of approximately 17 percent impervious surface. According to
the recent Fairfax County
Stream Protection Strategy Baseline Study, 70 percent of the streams
in the county are in fair to very poor condition.
There are more than 1,400 miles of storm drainage pipes in the county
that convey stormwater runoff from roofs, roadways, parking lots,
sidewalks, driveways, and lawns, to our network of more than 980 miles
streams. More than 3,000 stormwater facilities provide water quality
and/or quantity control for stormwater runoff in the county. All
facilities require periodic maintenance and need to be replaced when they
fail. Fairfax County's pipes and facilities are aging, and limited
resources are available to fix and/or replace them.
What are the state and federal
regulations Fairfax County must follow with regard to
stormwater?
Fairfax County is responsible for compliance with new federal and state
regulations regarding water quality and providing stormwater management
facilities, pipes and other structures and services within its
jurisdiction. Permits require maintenance of storm drains, inlets,
ditches, and streams, and ensure that erosion and sediment controls are
provided on construction sites. All of these requirements are rooted in
the Clean Water Act, which sometimes mandates actions to protect personal
and public property as well as provide for a healthy environment. Neither
the federal nor the state government provides funding for these
services.
What can you do to reduce pollution that
is getting into our waterways?
Adapted from the Northern Virginia Soil and Water
Conservation District:
- Limit use of pesticides and fertilizer, and when you do use them be sure it is at appropriate times of the year and in recommended amounts. Introduce natural predators to your garden, and use pest resistant plants. Remove eggs, larvae, cocoons, and adults from plants by hand.
- Prevent property erosion by covering bare soil with vegetation and mulch.
- Remove obstructions from stream channels and replant stream banks.
- Don't mow all the way to the edge of a lake or pond. Leave a buffer of tall grasses or shrubs to filter pollutants.
- Landscape yards to minimize stormwater runoff.
- Preserve neighborhood trees that help minimize the damage caused by surface runoff.
- Place retaining walls or diversions on steeply sloping ground to reduce the rate of water flow and erosion.
- Make sure septic tanks work properly.
- Dispose of litter in garbage cans or in recycling bins. Recycle glass, aluminum, plastic, paper, motor oil, and newspapers.
- Compost yard and garden waste.
- Pick up pet waste and bag it with regular household trash or flush it in the toilet.
- Never intentionally dump anything into a storm drain.
How can you help improve water
quality?
The success of any stormwater management program greatly depends on the
involvement of residents.
Learn more about stormwater runoff, nonpoint source pollution, and the things you can do in your home, neighborhood, and community that will improve the water quality of streams.
Get involved in your local watershed planning effort.
Volunteer for stream monitoring, storm drain
stenciling, stream cleanups, and join or form a "Friends of"
watershed group.
Where can you find more information about
stormwater management in Fairfax County?
To find out more about stormwater management in Fairfax County, visit
the
stormwater web page
, call the
Stormwater Planning Division at 703-324-5500, TTY 711, or
send us an e-mail.