No matter if you’re a resident or you own or an industrial or commercial enterprise, stormwater management is one of the crucial things when it comes to being environmentally responsible. In whichever part of the world you live, this responsibility is the same and equally important. Let’s take a look at the why of it.

What is it

Stormwater management is the term which refers to the management of surface runoff which can result from snowmelt or rain. It represents the effort to reduce this runoff of melted snow or rainwater into lawns, streets, and other sites, and the effort to improve the water quality. Stormwater can be absorbed into the soil, in which case it’s filtered and ultimately flows into rivers and streams or replenished aquifers. But in cases when heavy rainwater hits the ground becomes saturated with water so it creates excess moisture that runs across the surface and into road ditches and storm sewers. So, what basically happens during the surface runoff is that water flows over the land instead of seeping into the ground. This is why stormwater runoff is one of the largest contributors to waterway pollution and therefore an important responsibility of both private and commercial entities who need to maintain stormwater compliance in line with local guidelines and laws.

The Effect of Urbanization

Nature can take care of itself - a sufficient part of the rain either seeps into the ground or it ends up being captured by trees and other plants. Then the rest of the water simply flows overland downhill to the nearest waterway, drain, ditch, or creek. But that natural land which is able to contain large volumes of rain has been lost thank to urbanization. It is now inhabited by parking lots, rooftops, and streets, so a large portion of rain is now unable to seep into the ground. In order to reach the nearest drainage system, the stormwater must find another way. The fact it can’t be naturally soaked into the ground leads to all kinds of damage - from the storm and sanitary sewer system overflow, across turbidity, erosion, and flooding, to infrastructure damage. That’s why green infrastructure and stormwater design are crucial - to capture and reuse stormwater, maintaining or restoring natural hydrologies.

The Flow of Pollutants

Sheer volumes of stormwater that flow in urban areas are not the only issue. Another big issue is that this stormwater usually collects pollutants such as eroded soil, bacteria from animal and human waste, chemicals from garden fertilizers and pesticides, industrial substances, metal from rooftops, petrol by-products from leaking vehicles, and other debris on its way. Then it carries them into wetlands, lakes, rivers, and streams. This pollution can originate from a single source or over a large area, it doesn’t make a difference. Either way, it can be very harmful to plants, animals, humans, and the overall environment.

The Role of Individuals

Although the stormwater runoff is a part of the global water cycle, that doesn’t mean that individuals don’t have a part to play in its management. When it comes to the implementation of the best management practices to reduce the runoff, we all have a part to play. Every individual has the responsibility to make sure that the runoff is clean when it leaves our property. As professionals like Sydney civil contractors constantly point out, in order to do water infrastructure works with efficiency and accuracy, the first step is to educate yourself on where snowmelt and rainwater flow on your property. So, when you notice that the water doesn’t get absorbed into the ground on your property, that’s when your responsibility begins.

As you can see, the primary purpose of stormwater management is to detain stormwater and remove the pollutants. It is all about mimicking, restoring, or protecting the natural water cycle that urbanization has interrupted. People are doing it in various ways on a global scale - Blue/Green infrastructure, Gray infrastructure such as conventional piped drainage, storm sewers, gutters, culverts, etc. - but environmental consciousness always starts in the mind of an individual.