This beautiful planet of ours is incredibly complex and interconnected. Every part of the ecosystem plays an important role. While the environment impacts us, we can also impact the environment, for better or for worse. And that includes stormwater pollution. But how does it actually affect our health? Isn’t that a bit of a stretch?
What is Stormwater?
Stormwater is precipitation in any form that doesn’t soak into the ground, but instead runs, untreated, back into waterways, including streams, ponds, lakes and rivers. And the more impervious surfaces (concrete, asphalt, roofs, buildings, driveways, etc.) that a region has, the higher likelihood of stormwater runoff. Stormwater pollution occurs when things such as pesticides, pet waste, litter and debris, household chemicals and other products find themselves carried off by stormwater and, you guessed it, straight into those waterways…untreated.
How Does Stormwater Affect Health?
Towns with more open space (publicly accessible spaces such as plazas, playgrounds and basketball courts), green space (parks, gardens, cemeteries other areas covered in part by grass or vegetation) and blue space (bodies of water visible from where you live) reduce depression and improve mental and emotional wellness.
Regardless of your eating and exercising habits, stormwater affects your physical health.
- It impacts produce grown in local soil.
- It impacts the aquatic environment in which fish and other organisms live, which in turn are either eaten by humans or eaten by the things humans eat.
- It affects the water in which we want to play and swim and fish.
According to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, 30% of the streams in Tennessee cannot support healthy fish and aquatic wildlife because the water quality is so bad. A stunning 40% of waterways are not fit for human recreation.
Stormwater also affects our bottom line. Higher stormwater pollution concentrations mean higher costs to treat water before it comes into your home. This increases your utility costs.
Needless to say, yes, stormwater pollution affects your physical, emotional, mental and financial health.
What Can You Do?
An easy and important step in reducing stormwater pollution is using a service to clean and sanitize your outdoor trash bins. You could use excessive amounts of water and soap, then pour the soap and all the filth you’ve removed from the bin back into the stormwater drains.
Or you can utilize the services provided by Envirobinz Can Cleaning Service to keep your outdoor trash bins clean and sanitized. The Envirobinz process uses superheated water, no harsh or dangerous chemicals, and a collection tank. The dirty water is retained and properly disposed of instead of allowed back into the environment untreated. Contact this family-owned and operated business at 615-368-3999 or info@envirobinzTN.com for a quote.