The primary source of water pollution in the oceans today is called “Nonpoint Source” pollution. One of the main places that Nonpoint Source pollution comes from is the storm drains in front of your homes.
That’s right! The water that comes from your yard, from the street and gutters in front of your houses, from the parking lots where your cars are parked, and from the buildings where you work and live.
When it rains, or when you are watering your yard, or washing your car in the driveway, the water collects contaminants and fine dirt that runs directly into the gutter, and then into the stormdrains. This polluted water is called “Storm Water Pollution,” and it runs straight to the creeks, which becomes our drinking water supply, and also flows to the Ocean.
Many people think that the storm drains are connected to the sewer systems, but they’re not! The water that goes into the storm drains goes directly to the creeks and oceans without being treated.
Treatment for stormwater would be extremely expensive and inefficient, so it’s up to us to change our ways, and keep the storm water clean for ourselves and the living plants and animals.
Why Storm Water Pollution is a Problem
Storm water pollution contaminates the creeks, waterways, oceans, and groundwater supplies. In addition to hurting the fish and other aquatic life, our drinking water becomes polluted as well.
The pesticides, dirt, leaves, lawn clippings, washed off paintbrushes, and any other contaminant that goes into the gutter and down the storm drains can damage the fish spawning areas and coat the streambeds. This creates less oxygen, food, and ultimately fewer fish. To avoid these problems, there are techniques that you can use to help improve the storm water quality. These techniques are called Best Management Practices (BMP’s).
The Mendocino County Storm Water Management Program
The purpose of the Mendocino County Storm Water Management Program (MCSWMP) is to develop, implement and enforce a series of storm water management practices.
The MCSWMP is intended to further reduce adverse impacts to water quality and aquatic habitat by instituting the use of controls on the unregulated sources of storm water discharges that have the greatest likelihood of causing continued environmental degradation.
The Draft Mendocino County Storm Water Ordinance is pending Board of Supervisors approval to be added to the Mendocino County Code Book. To view draft ordinance(104 KB)
Standard Urban Stormwater Mitigation Plan (SUSMP):
The County is developing a Stormwater Management program to address storm water pollution from post-development construction. The SUSMP is part of that program. To view the Mendocino County SUSMP (1.76 MB - large file, may take time to download)
California Stormwater Quality Association (CASQA) - Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) Handbooks:
