Stormwater is Impairing Berks County Streams...
Rainwater and melting snow runs over lawns, parking lots, and farm fields, through city streets and forests, picking up and carrying pollutants into our streams, rivers, and oceans.
Typically, we can see this "stormwater" flow off our driveways or down our streets during a rain storm. Stormwater that flows over roads, parking lots, roofs, and driveways cannot absorb in the ground as it normally would.
Pollution that stormwater flows may carry include, litter, fertilizers, nutrients, pet waste, cinders and fine sediments, salt/deicing material, and vehicle fluids. When these types of pollutants reach nearby streams they can harm stream life, make water bodies unsafe for swimming/fishing, and alter the stream's physical characteristics.
Because this polluted water runoff comes from many diverse sources and not from a single point (such as a pipe or an industry), it is called "nonpoint source pollution."
How Can I Make a Difference?
Water pollution affects everyone and everything. Many of today’s water quality problems are caused by activities on the land. By becoming aware of how our actions affect the environment, we can help reduce pollution. The first step to cleaner and healthier streams is knowing the watershed you live in.
Visit the BCCD's Watersheds Page for more information on our local streams!