Friday, October 5, 2001

Clean Water Campaign sets sights on storm water pollution prevention

When it rains, it pollutes.

That was the message conveyed recently along the banks of the Chattahoochee River as 20 local governments, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division and the Atlanta Regional Commission kicked off the metro Atlanta Clean Water Campaign.

The Clean Water Campaign is a cooperative, multi-agency public education initiative coordinated by ARC that seeks to build awareness of water quality problems and solutions in the Atlanta region. The mission of the campaign is to educate the public about water pollution due to storm water runoff and the negative effects on water supply, recreational opportunities, aquatic ecosystems and quality of life.

For a region the size of metropolitan Atlanta about four million people there is a finite amount of water. In fact, the headwaters of the Chattahoochee River above the Atlanta region comprise one of the smallest watersheds serving a major metropolitan area in the U.S. It supplies 70 percent of metro Atlanta's drinking water and is used for industrial supply, irrigation, power generation, navigation and recreation.

Each time it rains, the resulting storm water runoff picks up pollutants and debris such as litter, yard fertilizers, pesticides, metal, motor oil and sediment as it flows across rooftops and lawns, streets and parking lots. Storm water collects in storm drains and drainage swales and is eventually deposited untreated into rivers, lakes and streams.

Storm water pollution makes treatment of drinking water more difficult and costly, and it hinders the health of aquatic ecosystems, ARC experts say. If polluted storm water contaminates water sources, the result can be the closing of the region's rivers, lakes and streams from public recreation.

The Clean Water Campaign will promote the protection of water quality by encouraging residents and businesses to take action to reduce those activities that lead to non-point source water pollution in the region. Pollution prevention methods for metro residents include reducing pesticide use, education on the proper use of fertilizer, proper household hazardous waste disposal, motor oil recycling, composting yard clippings, responsible pet waste disposal and reducing other potential water pollutants to streams, rivers and lakes.

The campaign was launched with initial funding of $720,000, primarily from local governments.

"Since 1994 local governments in the Atlanta region each have actively undertaken storm water public education activities," said Wayne Hill, chairman of both the Gwinnett County Commission and ARC. "We hope the Clean Water Campaign will be a mechanism through which we can speak with a collective voice to amplify the simple actions citizens can take to reduce storm water pollution."

The local governments involved in the initial Campaign effort are Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties and the cities of Acworth, Alpharetta, Atlanta, Austell, College Park, East Point, Fairburn, Hapeville, Kennesaw, Marietta, Palmetto, Powder Springs, Roswell, Smyrna and Union City.

For information phone Kelley OBrien with ARC or visit the campaign's Web site at www.cleanwatercampaign.com.

Top ten things you can do to be a solution to storm water pollution

1. Never dump anything down a storm drain or into a drainage ditch.

2. Recycle motor oil and other vehicle fluids.

3. Throw litter in its place.

4. Clean up after your pet.

5. Check your vehicles for leaks, and repair them.

6. Dispose of household hazardous wastes at designated locations.

7. Compost yard clippings.

8. Use fertilizer and pesticide only when needed. Read the label.

9. If you wash your vehicle at home, do so on the lawn rather than the pavement.

10. Tell a friend or neighbor about how to prevent storm water pollution and get involved in your community.

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