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At MASSTC, we talk a lot about what goes down the drain. When it comes to wastewater, we can't say enough about keeping out anything that can be damaging to public health or the environment. Many of us are keen not to put things down our drains that we shouldn't - things like medicines, gasoline, or other chemicals.
With all of the rain we received this week (and it was a *lot* of rain), we are reminded about another kind of drain than can be just as damaging to our health and environment - the storm drain. In many ways, stormwater can be just as bad as the wastewater generated by our homes and businesses. Roadway runoff contains all kinds of oils and fuels leaked from cars, microscopic particles of rubber from our tires, trash, and other debris. Stormwater can contain poop from that neighbor's dog that never gets picked up. Unfortunately, storm drains can also be used improperly.
Have you thought much about where that stormwater goes when the rain stops? On Cape Cod, much of it goes into a drain like the one pictured above. And no, it doesn't go to a treatment plant. There isn't much for treatment going on in a storm drain. For the most part the water sits there and filters out into the surrounding soils, eventually making it into the groundwater that we rely on to fill our drinking glass when we turn on the tap. Where storm drains are absent, stormwater can flow directly into our ponds and bays, contaminating the water we like to fish and swim in.
Essentially, it's really important to be just as mindful of protecting our storm drains as we are of our house drains. Fix that oil or fuel leak in your car. Put trash where it belongs and clean up after your dog. Most importantly, *never* put anything down a storm drain!
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