Featured Comment SWPPP is for Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans. All construction sites in the US are required to have a plan. This plan is used to keep polluted water from going down the drain during a rainstorm. The water becomes poluted because the construction job removes vegetation.Then the storm picks up the loose dirt and carries the dirt away. This polutes the water systems. EPA rules try to rein in runoff. … read more

References

1. Ann McCauley, Soil Scientist and Clain Jones, ExtensionSoil Fertility Specialist

"How important is water? Well, it's not a question I have to think too hard about. What I can tell you is… read more

 Most water on earth is in a continuous cycle between water bodies, land and the atmosphere. An important component of this cycle is the cycling of water in soil. The processes by which water enters, moves through and exits soil are essential for sustaining plants and soil organisms, transporting nutrients and recharging surface and ground water supplies. Water moving in soil also impacts the behavior and transport of soil solutes and their effect on water quality.¹

 'Full–blown flooding catastrophes', increased debris, sediment buildup, erosion and changes in the water channel – these are some of the challenges facing the water quality status of urban streams and estuaries (i.e. those affected by runoff and discharges from rivers and floodplains.)

Groundwater Modeling

 The Groundwater Modeling Program (GMP) has provided groundwater modeling support on a department–wide basis since 1980 when an EPA grant was used to fund the use of groundwater models for site remediation.

 The use of groundwater models for site remediation assists local communities utilizing groundwater for their municipal drinking water supply systems in protecting their water sourceement.

Stormwater runoff

 Storm water runoff is defined as precipitation that flows over the ground, particularly across impervious surfaces that prevent it from naturally soaking into the earth. The water collects debris, chemicals, dirt and other pollutants that flow untreated into storm sewer systems or directly into local lakes, streams, wetlands and coastal waters.

 Storm water runoff is a major ecological problem, both for erosion and pollution that releases tonnes of toxic materials into streams that stress fish and wreaks havoc on ecosystems.

Stormwater regulations

 Ever–evolving stormwater regulations aimed at keeping toxic pollution out of waters, present challenges designed to regulate point source discharges required to address specific needs and conditions of watersheds within a region.

 These rules also put a tighter lid on residents' use of storm drains for disposing of paint, oil or other substances that could pollute waterways.

Storm water management

 By weaving natural processes into the built environment, green infrastructure provides not only stormwater management, but also flood mitigation, air quality management, and much more.

 Numerous erosion control categories fall under this umbrella of water management, from sewage treatment to landslides/mudslides to wetlands restoration. Comprehensive plans should call for reducing water runoff and curtailing stream bank erosion.

 Sustainable water managemen includes areas such as sediment and contaminants in stormwater harvesting, membrane technology, and disposal of debris–limiting the environmental impacts from construction sites and road projects.

 Another example of small–scale stormwater management and erosion and sediment control requirements is a "bioswale" – a carefully designed stormwater bioretention basin that keeps rainwater runoff on the property, gradually releasing it into the ground and to the foliage, instead of sending into the public sewer system.

Deep gully erosion

 Deep gully erosion occurs when the topsoil washes away. Extensive farming also removes the vegetation in the area, which can aid wind erosion. The wind often sweeps in and blows the dirt away in excessively exposed regions of the country. Planting trees in such locations will stop the dissolution or severely reduce the gully formation The trees work like
… read more Deep gully erosion
… read more Gully Erosion Control

Natural sequence farming
Duane Norris of Hardy's Bay, New South Wales explains how NSF techniques could re–couple environmental carbon and water cycles not only to improve farming yields but to avoid soil erosion and reduce carbon dioxide emissios.
… read more.

Radon in Water

 What is this stuff? Radon is a radioactive gas produced in the soil from the decay of naturally occurring uranium; the amount of uranium in the soil varies, but it’s pretty much ubiquitous,” said Michael Taylor, the New Mexico Environment Department’s Indoor Radon Outreach Program coordinator.

 Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer for non–smokers and the second leading cause of lung cancer in the general population. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas produced by the breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water. Most often, the radon in your home's indoor air can come from two sources, the soil or your water supply. The Surgeon General and EPA recommend testing for radon and reducing radon in homes that have high levels.

 And just what is the danger? "Lung cancer" is a well–established and not disputed consequence of long–term exposure to radon. For every four picocuries, your health risk is comparable to smoking eight cigarettes a day. If you have a reading of 10, it’s like smoking a pack a day.

Radon Reduction Techniques

 There are several methods a contractor can use to lower radon levels in your home. Some techniques prevent radon from entering your home while others reduce radon levels … read more

 Your unbiased website of water remediation works is dedicated to minimizing accelerated soil erosion with methods that apply Best Management Practices (BMPs) as required by the Federal Clean Water Act (amended by the Water Quality Act of 1987) to reduce nonpoint source pollution to the maximum extent practicable to ensure that soil & water resources are protected from pollution caused by erosion and storm water runoff.

 A subscription to your user–friendly stormwater runoff guide provides a wealth of information and range of options for the selection, construction, and installation of soil bioengineering methods, bioremediation practices, and biotechnical slope stabilization products. for governments and citizens alike.

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Resources



Spotlight

Developing Your Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan

Who? Construction site operators Where? Construction sites required to comply with stormwater discharge requirements What? A guide to help you develop a good Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) Why? A SWPPP is required (by your construction general permit) Guidelines



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