EnviroNews

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The Hidden Threat of Storm Water Pollution: How Everyday Rainfall Harms Our Ecosystems

Natalie Marcin

Natalie Marcin

October 15, 2024

Have you ever wondered why authorities advise against swimming in the ocean after it rains? The reason is simple but alarming—rainwater, also known as storm water, collects significant amounts of pollutants as it travels across streets and industrial sites. These pollutants are eventually carried into rivers, lakes, wetlands, and oceans, creating one of the most persistent threats to our aquatic ecosystems. This same storm water impacts your ability to enjoy the ocean or other aquatic ecosystems after rain, and can lead to ongoing beach closures.

What is Storm Water and Why Is It Harmful?

Storm water refers to the water that runs off surfaces like streets, parking lots, and industrial facilities when it rains. Instead of being absorbed into the ground, this water flows over impermeable surfaces, picking up contaminants along the way. While storm water is a natural process, the problem lies in the human activities that turn it into a toxic brew.

The pollutants in storm water come from various sources, such as construction sites, manufacturing facilities, and scrap waste companies. Through industrial activity, chemicals, heavy metals, nutrients, and even microplastics—are washed away during rainfall and end up in storm drains. These drains carry the polluted water directly into nearby water bodies, often with little to no treatment. This contaminated storm water has disastrous consequences for aquatic ecosystems, wildlife, and even human health.

For these reasons, storm water pollution significantly impacts your ability to swim in the ocean because these pollutants it carries can make the water unsafe for human contact. Authorities often issue beach closures or advisories after rainstorms to protect public health, as swimming in contaminated water can pose serious dangers. Additionally, the toxins from pesticides, heavy metals, and chemicals can harm marine life, disrupt ecosystems, and further degrade water quality, compounding the risks to both wildlife and human beachgoers.

Common Pollutants in Storm Water

Storm water pollution is made up of various harmful substances. Some of the most common include:

  • Heavy metals: From industrial sites, metals like lead, copper, and zinc are toxic to aquatic organisms. Once in the water, these metals can disrupt the reproductive systems of fish, kill microorganisms, and even end up in the human food chain through fish consumption.
  • Nutrients: Nitrogen and phosphorus are common in fertilizers used on farms and can even be found in metal industries. For example, copper and nickel plating often uses phosphorus as part of the plating process. When these nutrients enter water bodies, they promote algae growth, leading to harmful algal blooms that deplete oxygen levels, suffocating fish and other aquatic life.
  • Chemicals: Hazardous chemicals often accompany industrial activities. When not stored properly, these chemicals poison wildlife and contaminate drinking water sources.
  • Microplastics: Tiny plastic particles from degraded plastic products make their way into oceans and rivers. These microplastics are ingested by marine animals, ultimately entering the food chain.

These pollutants may seem minor on their own, but their cumulative effects can devastate ecosystems over time. One rainstorm can carry massive amounts of these substances from urban areas into sensitive environments. When you swim in the ocean or other waterbody, you are also exposed to these pollutants. While the highest concentration is right after a storm, many pollutants persist in the water and do not break down.

How Storm Water Pollutes Ecosystems

The journey of storm water pollution begins with rain hitting the ground. For example, imagine a manufacturing company producing metal railings. Though it may not appear hazardous, the process of cutting and welding steel and aluminum produces fine metal dust that settles on the ground. When it rains, storm water picks up these metal particulates and carries them to storm drains, which feed into nearby rivers, lakes, or oceans.

Once pollutants like metals enter a waterbody, they have a cascading effect on the ecosystem. Metal contaminants can kill small organisms like plankton, which serve as a critical food source for fish. As fish consume contaminated organisms, the pollutants accumulate in their tissues. Larger animals, including humans, can then be exposed to these toxins when they eat contaminated fish.

The situation worsens as pollutants spread throughout the food chain, leading to long-term damage that is difficult to reverse. Even small actions, like not sweeping up debris or improperly storing materials, can have severe consequences for nearby ecosystems.

For example, something as simple as laying a tarp over exposed materials or regularly cleaning up debris at a facility could prevent storm water pollution from occurring in the first place. Once pollutants have entered the water, removing them is almost impossible, making prevention the most effective solution.

The Clean Water Act and Its Gaps

The Clean Water Act (CWA) is the primary federal law governing water pollution in the United States. The Act aims to prevent pollutants from entering waters through industrial discharges, including storm water. However, enforcement of the CWA is inconsistent and often ineffective. The law requires companies likely to cause pollution to implement specific best management practices (BMPs) to prevent storm water contamination. Yet, many companies fail to follow through with these practices, and there is minimal oversight to ensure compliance. The CWA also requires companies to sample their storm water runoff to measure pollution levels. In reality, many companies either do not collect these samples or do so improperly. For example, many companies do not analyze their storm water for all pollutants that are found on their property. With limited regulatory resources and thousands of companies potentially violating the law, storm water pollution often goes unchecked.

In places like San Diego County, where EarthSpotter is based, there are thousands of businesses subject to these storm water regulations. Despite the sheer volume of potential polluters, local authorities lack the capacity to inspect and enforce compliance with the CWA effectively. The result is a persistent flow of pollutants into rivers, lakes, and oceans, threatening ecosystems and human health.

There are countless real-world examples of storm water pollution in action. In one instance, storm water runoff from a metal manufacturing company was entirely red from iron contamination. The company could have easily prevented this by simply covering their materials and raising them off the ground. Such small measures would have greatly reduced the amount of iron entering the storm drains. In another example, a concrete facility's storm water runoff was dark brown, clouded by contaminated sediment washing off its property. A sample of this runoff revealed a dangerous mix of heavy metals, sediment, and excessive nutrients—all of which wreak havoc on nearby ecosystems. The heavy metals poison aquatic life, while the surplus nutrients fuel harmful algal blooms that deplete oxygen levels in the water, suffocating fish and other wildlife. Sediment, often overlooked, can cloud water and smother habitats, making it difficult for aquatic plants and animals to survive.

Brown murky water exiting a concrete facility

Image: Displays brown murky water exiting a concrete facility.

Once pollutants enter storm water, they are almost impossible to remove. This is why prevention is so crucial. Small actions taken by companies, like sweeping up debris or covering materials, can make a significant difference in protecting water quality and ecosystems.

How EarthSpotter Fights Pollution

Recognizing the lack of enforcement and public awareness around storm water pollution, EarthSpotter was created as an environmental journalism platform focused on educating the public and holding companies accountable for environmental harm. EarthSpotter works through three main mechanisms:

  1. Environmental journalism: EarthSpotter investigates pollution sources and publishes articles on how these pollutants harm ecosystems. The platform also educates the public on simple ways to protect the environment, from sustainable shopping to improving backyard ecosystems.
  2. Public access to data: EarthSpotter provides the public with access to data on companies in their area and the types of pollutants being discharged. This allows for greater transparency and encourages informed decisions about where to spend money and how to hold polluters accountable.
  3. Reporting environmental threats: The platform enables the public to report all kinds of environmental threats, from air pollution to poor storm water management practices. Qualified attorneys then review these reports. If a legal solution is possible, EarthSpotter works to arrange legal action, either through its own attorneys or through partner firms and non-profits.

A Call to Action

Storm water pollution is a silent but deadly threat to our ecosystems, and it's one that we all have the power to help prevent. Whether through small actions like reporting pollution when you see it or supporting platforms like EarthSpotter, every step counts.

Currently, EarthSpotter's attorneys can review all types of pollution reported. As EarthSpotter grows, the platform aims to expand its data transparency and journalism beyond storm water to address other environmental threats like air pollution, land use, climate change, and more.

If we all take responsibility for protecting our environment, we can reduce pollution and safeguard ecosystems for future generations. Remember, the best solution to pollution is prevention—before it's too late.