Stormwater Quality
Water Quality for Stormwater
Stormwater runoff can detrimentally impact the environment and human safety and health due to its contamination with pollutants. Depending on the size and location, developments are required by law to reduce stormwater pollutants coming from the site. AQUALIS provides private and municipal clients with a full suite of services associated with water quality in stormwater to help intercept, manage, and treat stormwater runoff to keep our surface water swimmable and fishable. AQUALIS can provide client monitoring programs and water testing, as well as water quality modelling for planning, design, and permitting compliance.
What’s the Problem with Stormwater Runoff?
Stormwater runoff carries pollutants from the land surface into our waterways. In urban areas, this can include sediment, deposited nutrients, heavy metals, and in colder climates, chlorides. In rural areas, pollutants found in stormwater runoff include fertilizers and pesticides. Other location specific or emerging pollutants are regularly being identified in stormwater runoff. Sediment is the most regulated stormwater pollutant because it clogs infrastructure, buries streambeds, and restricts visibility by making waters cloudy or muddy. Sediment can also be associated with many other common stormwater pollutants of concern, such as phosphorus or nitrogen nutrients, which cause harmful algal blooms, and microbes and bacteria, which can make animals and people sick.
How to Improve Water Quality in Stormwater Runoff
Stormwater control measures (SCMs) and green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) are used to capture and treat stormwater runoff onsite through detention and infiltration. Depending on the size and type of property that you have, there are often many options for improving stormwater quality. AQUALIS is the nation’s leading expert in stormwater management and can assist you in finding the best SCM for your property needs. Common types of Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) used includes:
Bioretention
Rain Gardens
Constructed Wetlands
Native Landscaping
Green Roofs
Permeable Pavement
Testing and evaluating water quality is paramount for protecting the resource. AQUALIS offers testing services for stormwater, wastewater and drinking water across the country.
As our nation continues to develop and urbanize, impervious surfaces like concrete block the natural processes of water. Stormwater Control Measures (SCMs) are designed and implemented on properties to both store and treat the stormwater runoff.
Did you receive an NOV? Have an urgent need? We can help.
Notices of Violation (NOVs) or Corrective Notices should be taken seriously. Contact AQUALIS today to learn how to resolve the issue and comply with regulations.