OUR COUNTY
D. GARY DAVIS
COUNTY MAYOR
Stormwater, a Challenge Facing Local Governments
In 1972 the United States Congress passed the Clean Water Act which is the primary federal law governing water pollution. This unfunded mandate from Washington has been amended on occasion to ensure that state and local governments are meeting the Environmental Protection Agency’s water quality requirements regarding storm water runoff and its impact on our lakes, rivers and streams.
We must protect our environment but without sufficient funding it is unlikely that many cities and counties will be able to comply with National Pollution Detection & Elimination System rules. For example, Chattanooga is faced with huge increases in its stormwater permit fees and has hired an environmental attorney to help them deal with the EPA’s stricter enforcement of water quality standards.
The culprit is stormwater and surface runoff which has a great impact on our drinking water. Nonporous surfaces like driveways, sidewalks and streets prevent stormwater runoff from naturally soaking into the ground. Instead the stormwater picks up debris, chemicals, motor oils, pesticides, fertilizers and other pollutants. The unfiltered and untreated water often goes directly into a storm sewer system, lake, stream, river, wetland, or coastal waterway.
The EPA continues to tighten stormwater regulations and in November, 2008 it began requiring some big-box stores, malls, and other businesses to reduce the amount of rainwater that runs off their roofs and parking lots.
The natural process of water soaking into the earth is destroyed when we cover the land with buildings, parking lots and roads. A paved parking lot sheds 16 times the amount of water as a meadow with a 1 inch rainfall. Because of this, the Bradley County Stormwater Department, which operates out of the County Engineers office, is often called upon to perform a balancing act between protecting our environment and drinking water, while ensuring that our home builders, developers, and others in construction related industries can continue to do business. The goal is to protect public health and natural resources while providing a climate for continued economic growth. Our efforts are paying off.
Polluted stormwater runoff is the number one cause of water pollution in some parts of the nation. But it doesn’t have to be in Bradley County. There are things that each of us can do to protect our water supply and also assist the staff in the County’s stormwater department. These include: recycling your used motor oil or fixing that leaky crankcase or transmission. If repair is not possible, put a drip tray under the car and recycle the collected oil. Keep suds out of the storm drains. Use low-phosphate soaps when you wash your car. Fertilize wisely and use pesticides only when necessary. Never spray pesticides or fertilizers near ditches, lakes, or bays. Dispose of lawn and garden chemicals carefully. Follow instructions on the container and never dump them down the drain, in the gutter or near water.
By following a few simple guidelines we can continue to make Bradley County "Tennessee at its best.”
For more tips and information about stormwater runoff go to the following website,
http://www.epa.gov/weatherchannel/stormwater.html, or http://www.bradleyco.net/stormwaterhome.aspx.