Earth Gauge Video is available for this tip!
When the snow melts or the rain falls, where does the water go? On a typical city block – with pavement and rooftops – more than half runs off into storm drains instead of soaking into the soil. On the way to the storm drain, water picks up oil, chemicals, pet waste, road salts and other pollutants. In many cities, water in the storm system travels directly to local streams and rivers, untreated. That means that pollutants end up in public waters used for fishing, swimming and drinking.
Viewer Tip: Let the water soak. At home, point downspouts towards grass instead of pavement to allow rain water and snow melt to soak into the ground.
Seasons: Winter, Spring
(Sources: U.S. EPA. “Protecting Water Quality from Urban Runoff: Clean Water is Everybody’s Business.” http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/nps_urban-facts_final.pdf)
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