Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Storm water pollution has far-reaching effects
Thursday, July 20, 2006
By EDWARD DROBINA

As the rain falls and the snow melts, what they take with them into the ground can have an impact on the environment.
Storm water pollution is a problem that many people don't even know about, but which has the capacity to affect all our lives. Although it has been in the news a lot more in the last year or so, help is still needed to educate the public on what it is and why we need to be concerned.
Storm water pollution is the nation's greatest threat to clean water; however, there are many things we can do to stop it. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as storm water flows over driveways, lawns and sidewalks, it picks up debris, chemicals, dirt and other pollutants that go into storm sewer systems or directly to lakes, streams, rivers, wetlands or coastal water.
Anything that enters a storm sewer system is discharged -- untreated -- into water used for swimming, fishing and providing drinking water. Knowing that, it is easy to understand why preventing contamination is so important.
Bacteria in water can pose a health risk to humans and animals. Ugly pollution destroys the natural beauty of our lakes and streams and litter can clog waterways and cause toxicity as it breaks down, affecting birds, fish and other animals and plants that live in the waterways. Sediment can cloud the water and make it difficult or impossible for aquatic plants to grow, thereby destroying habitats.
Sediment pollution can also affect the oxygen level in the water and cause harm to fish and plants. Debris like plastic bags, bottles, six-pack rings and cigarette butts can choke, suffocate or disable many animals such as ducks, fish, turtles and birds.
Care must be taken to ensure that debris and pollutants are kept out of our water system whenever possible. There are steps everyone can take to help:
?• If you have a septic system, have it inspected every three years and pump the tank as necessary (every 3-5 years).
?• Don't dispose of household hazardous waste in sinks or toilets.
?• When walking your pet, pick up the waste and dispose of it properly.
?• Use pesticides and fertilizers sparingly.
?• Compost or mulch yard waste. Don't leave it in the street or sweep it into storm drains and streams.
?• Cover piles of dirt or mulch being used in landscaping projects.
?• Use commercial car washes, or wash your car on your yard so the water goes into the ground.
?• Repair leaks and dispose of auto fluids and batteries at designated recycling locations.
?• Keep livestock away from stream banks and provide a water source away from bodies of water.
?• Sweep up litter and debris from sidewalks, driveways and parking lots, especially around storm drains.
Surveys done by the EPA list water pollution the single most-important environmental issue we face. It is an issue that has far-reaching impact for both humans and other forms of life sharing this planet. It is up to each of us to do all we can to keep our water supply safe. As the Department of Environment and Conservation slogan says: ''The difference is you.''
Edward Drobina is Pickerington's city service manager.
What has the communications from the city come to? They have a talented and capable public media person on staff and this is what they write about? Either their media person is on vacation or wasn?’t allowed to do their job in this article.

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By Grouchy Retired Guy

What you buy, what you get

Let me ask this of the city. I did a little research through minutes of service committee meetings and council minutes and found that last year the city purchased and new street sweeper and hired a guy to operate it. Now I have seen this sweeper operate through my development exactly twice this year. I have two storm drains located in front of my house across the street from each other. At no time did the operator of the sweeper get out and remove the storm drain covers and use the equipment to clean the catch basin. Additionally after he went past these drains I went out and checked. The gutters were done nicely but the storm drain covers seemed to catch the debris that the brushes were pushing along. The operator didn?’t even bother to see if he was improving the situation or not.

Before I retired I worked in a city service department. While not assigned to streets I knew guys who were. So I have to ask a couple of questions to you readers to see if you notice things like this too. First, how often do you see the sweeper come by? Next, do you notice it things are better after if goes by or the same or worse? Next, have you ever seen them actually get off their butt in the truck and clean the catch basins?

I personally know the results of clogged drain covers or debris filled catch basins. The result in my case was storm water flooding my basement. To prevent this from happening here in my retirement castle in our fair city I go out and clean the drain covers myself. Should I have to do this? How many miles of city streets are there? How fast does the sweeper travel? Let?’s do some math here and see how many street miles a sweeper can cover in an 8 hour day. I know there are two sides to every street. But I am just curious to see how often the drain covers COULD be cleaned versus how often the ARE cleaned.

Enough of that, let?’s review the pollution aspect of the article. For two years I voiced concerns (OK I complained a lot) to the city regarding the amount of petroleum products that were draining from vehicles in my development. In particular, a guy is running an auto repair operation in his driveway and in the cul-de-sac area where he lives. While I won?’t accuse him of draining oil from the cars into the storm drain, since he does a lot of his work after midnight he may well be. Nonetheless, he isn?’t working on BMW?’s of Mercedes, he is working on heaps that shouldn?’t be on the road anyway. He has changed engines, transmissions and the like in the street. Having done work like that myself in a building somewhere, I can assure you there is a lot of fluid leakage.


By Grouchy Retired Guy

I share Cent Dad's caffiene prob

What I want to know is why the city does not enforce its codes in assuring that auto repair facilities do not operate in the city streets where pollution could be allowed to enter the storm drains.

Next example. A retired friend of mine who had to have some surgery was unable to keep up with mowing his lawn so I volunteered. For three weeks I went over and cut the grass and for three weeks I drove around a dump truck load of mulch and topsoil in front of his neighbor?’s house. The neighbor was re-landscaping all around his house. Admirable? Yes but both the dump truck load of mulch and topsoil were in the street in front of the guy?’s house. So in three weeks not a single soul that works for the city just happened to drive by and deal with this situation. Not a cop or the guy painting the hydrants or the random pickup trucks I see driving through my neighborhood ?– nobody.

Need I go on? Mr. Drobina, let me say this ?– many of us take steps to assure our quality of life and share some of your concerns over pollution but rather than preach to us, why don?’t you first assure us the city is also acting responsibly. You have these property maintenance standards but from what I read in here, no one to enforce them. You have a lot of employees driving all over the city every day. Can you tell them to make reports of violations and then assure someone in the city acts on them?

Please practice what you preach.


By Grouchy Retired Guy

Make that call today

Hey retired Guy

If your storm drains are full of debris pick up your phone and call the City (837-3974) I will assure you they will respond. Sitting here complaining won't get the catch basin or what ever cleaned out. I had a ball and a milk carton stuck in the one in front of my house and they came out within 2 days and cleaned it out. The street sweeper has been in my neighborhood numerous times this year. If they are repairing cars in your neighborhood and dumping oil call the City.