STORMWATER RUNOFF

Today is the perfect day to talk about stormwater! Runoff is probably not something you think about every day, but the City of Ottawa wants to help you understand why stormwater is an important topic.

Stormwater is runoff from roofs, streets, and parking lots, that don’t absorb water. As the stormwater flows it will pick up dirt, litter, chemicals, and other pollutants. Then it flows into the City’s storm sewers and into our local waterways.

Stormwater Management is a way to decrease the amount of pollution that flows into the water we drink and the creeks, streams, and lakes our families fish and play in. Are you starting to see why this is important? Our stormwater management program is geared toward working with Ottawa residents, developers, and other entities to implement strategies to prevent pollutants from flowing into the Marais des Cygnes River and other local waterways. This preventative approach has been shown to save cities money; one study even showed that for every $1.00 spent on stormwater management and other pollution prevention efforts a whopping $27.00 was saved in cleaning and purification costs!

Keep an eye out for more posts about stormwater and what you can do to keep our water clean! For more information visit https://www.ottawaks.gov/stormwater