Stormwater

Stormwater is the water that falls from the sky when it rains or snows. When it rains or snows, the water can’t just stay on the ground or keep falling through to the center of the Earth. So, it flows down hills, into streams or rivers, and finally, into our storm drains.

Stormwater can be a problem because when it comes into contact with things on the ground, it can pick up pollutants like oil, dirt, and waste. That means that when it gets into a river, pond, or other body of water, it can make that water dirty and unhealthy for animals and plants.

To help keep our water clean, cities and towns have made special places for stormwater to go. They are called stormwater management systems. These systems help collect rain and snowmelt and move the water away from homes and communities.

Stormwater management systems use things like rain gardens, retention ponds, bioswales, and pervious pavement to treat and absorb the water before it ends up in natural bodies of water. This way, the pollutants from the rainwater are cleaned or removed before they can harm animals or plants in the environment.

So, in short, stormwater is the water that falls from the sky when it rains, and we need to control where it goes and how we manage it if we want to keep our environment clean and healthy.