Stormwater

Paint Township

Somerset County
1741 Basin Drive
Windber, PA 15963

David Blough, Chairman
Andy Tvardzik, Secretary-Treasurer
Joe Huff, Vice Chairman

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What is Stormwater and why is it an issue?

When rain falls onto land, some percolates into the soil while some runs off into nearby streams.
If pesticides or fertilizers where used on the soil, some of the chemicals may be carried with the stormwater.
Stormwater runoff from pavement may carry away accumulated pollutants.
Upstream pollutants, water and sediments may work there way downstream into rivers and lakes.
A useful indicator of the severity of runoff problems in urban or suburban watersheds is the acreage of impervcious surface. This is important since these paved areas may create 2 - 16 times the amount of runoff as a natural landscape would.

What are some of the pollutants?

Nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen, source can be fertilizers or animal waste. The impact may include stimulating excessive growth of algae.
Biochemical Oxygen Demand or organic wastes, source is human and animal wastes. The impact is loss of oxygen in streams which can kill fish.
Bacteria, source is animal or human wastes. Impacts include risk of infection from pathogens.
Suspended sediments, source is from erosion of soils. Impacts include reduced water clarity and loss of aquatic habitat.