JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, TX –
The Basura Bash is a one-day, all-volunteer event to clean
the San Antonio Watershed. Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston will be
hosting the event beginning at 8 a.m. Feb. 20 at the Salado Creek Park. For
more information and registration, go to http://www.basurabash.org/ or call
221-1142.
The effects of storm water runoff are one reason the Basura
Bash creek clean-up is necessary. Storm water runoff occurs when precipitation
comes down faster than our soils can soak it up and this rain flows over the
ground. Impervious surfaces like driveways, sidewalks and streets prevent
stormwater runoff from naturally soaking into the ground.
Storm water can pick up debris, chemicals, dirt and other
pollutants before it flows into a storm sewer system or directly to a lake,
stream, river, wetland or coastal waterway. Anything that enters a storm sewer
system is discharged, untreated, into the bodies of water we use for swimming,
fishing and providing drinking water.
Polluted storm water runoff can have many adverse effects on
plants, fish, animals and people.
Sediment can cloud the water and make it difficult or
impossible for aquatic plants to grow. Sediments also fill up the storage
capacity of our reservoirs and can destroy aquatic habitats.
Excess nutrients can cause algae blooms. When algae die,
they sink to the bottom and decompose in a process that removes oxygen from the
water. Fish and other aquatic organisms can’t exist in water with low dissolved
oxygen levels. This is called eutrophication and may result in fish kills and
toxic algae blooms.
Debris such as plastic bags, six-pack rings, bottles and
cigarette butts washed into bodies of water can choke, suffocate or disable
aquatic life like ducks, fish, turtles and birds.
Household hazardous wastes like insecticides, pesticides,
paint, solvents, used motor oil and other auto fluids can poison aquatic life.
People can become sick from eating diseased fish and shellfish or ingesting
polluted water.
Polluted stormwater often affects drinking water sources.
This, in turn, can affect human health and increase drinking water treatment
costs.
What are some solutions for storm water pollution?
In residential areas, properly dispose of household products
that contain chemicals, such as insecticides, pesticides, paint, solvents and
used motor oil and other auto fluids (i.e. antifreeze). Don’t pour them onto
the ground or into storm drains. Dispose kitchen grease in garbage to prevent
sewer overflows and backups. As always, dispose of trash properly and recycle
paper, plastic, glass, metal and electronics.
In regards to lawn care, excess fertilizers and pesticides
applied to lawns and gardens wash off and pollute streams. Yard clippings and
leaves can wash into storm drains and contribute nutrients and organic matter
to streams. When possible, compost or mulch yard wastes. Don’t leave it in the
street or sweep it into storm drains or streams. Also, cover piles of dirt or
mulch being used in landscaping projects.
Utilize local climate appropriate lawn maintenance
techniques when maintaining your lawn. More information is available at the San
Antonio Water System’s Garden Style San Antonio website at
http://www.gardenstylesanantonio.com.
Washing your car and degreasing auto parts at home can send
detergents and other contaminants through the storm sewer system. Dumping
automotive fluids into storm drains has the same result as dumping the materials
directly into a body of water. Use a commercial car wash that treats or
recycles its wastewater or wash your car on your yard so the water infiltrates
into the ground. Repair leaks and dispose of used auto fluids and batteries at
designated drop-off or recycling locations.
Pet waste can be a major source of bacteria and excess
nutrients in local waters. When walking your pet, remember to pick up the waste
and dispose of it properly. Flushing pet waste is the best disposal method.
Leaving pet waste on the ground increases public health risks by allowing
harmful bacteria and nutrients to wash into the storm drain and eventually into
local bodies of water. Bacteria and other pathogens can wash into swimming
areas and create health hazards.
Residential landscaping presents its own challenges when it
comes to storm water runoff. Traditional concrete and asphalt doesn’t allow
water to soak into the ground. Instead, these impervious surfaces rely on storm
drains to quickly rush unfiltered runoff into local creeks, thus contributing
to flash flooding. Permeable pavement systems allow rain to soak through,
decreasing stormwater runoff.
Rain gardens and grassy swales are specially designed areas
planted with native plants can provide natural places for rainwater to collect
and soak into the ground. Rain from rooftop areas or paved areas can be
diverted into green infrastructure features rather than into storm drains.
Landscape elements that slow, spread and sink runoff into the soil, will
convert storm water runoff into a free non-Edwards Aquifer water supply. Some
examples can be seen in front of JBSA-Fort Sam Houston’s Quadrangle and near
the 502nd Air Base Wing headquarters building.
Another landscaping technique is the use of vegetated filter
strips, which are areas of native grass or plants created along roadways or
streams. Vegetation cleans the storm water by trapping pollutants runoff picks
up from impervious cover as it flows across driveways and streets. Homeowners
are encouraged to use rain barrels to collect rainwater from rooftops in
mosquito-proof containers. The water can be used later on lawn or garden areas.
In commercial areas, dirt, oil and debris that collect in
parking lots and paved areas can be washed into the storm sewer system and
eventually enter the local water supply. Sweep up litter and debris from
sidewalks, driveways and parking lots, especially around storm drains. Cover
grease storage and dumpsters and keep them clean to avoid leaks.
At JBSA locations, report any chemical spill to the
applicable JBSA Fire Department. The 502nd Civil Engineering Squadron’s
Environmental Flight knows the best way to keep spills from harming the
environment.
In construction areas, erosion controls that aren’t
maintained can cause excessive amounts of sediment and debris to be carried
into the stormwater system. Construction vehicles can leak fuel, oil and other
harmful fluids that can be picked up by stormwater and deposited into local
bodies of water.
Construction workers should divert storm water away from
disturbed or exposed areas of the construction site. Properly maintain silt
fences, vehicle mud removal areas, vegetative cover and other sediment and
erosion controls, especially after rainstorms.
Prevent soil erosion by minimizing disturbed areas during
construction projects and seed and mulch bare areas as soon as possible.
For facilities where auto repairs are performed, clean up
spills immediately and properly dispose of cleanup materials. Properly maintain
vehicles and utilize a drip pan to prevent oil, gas and other discharges from
being washed into local water sources. Recycle paper, plastics, used motor oil,
batteries and antifreeze.
By keeping our upland areas clean and free of pollution, we
can proactively keep our creeks and waterways clean and healthy.