Runoff Pollution

Before we look at runoff pollution, we should look at the meaning of a few words: Stormwater - Rain or melted snow. Runoff - Rain or melted snow that flows along the surface of the ground. Wastewater - Used water from toilets, showers, laundry, and other uses in our homes. Storm Sewers Collect runoff and keep it separate from wastewater. Sanitary Sewers Collect wastewater and keep it separate from runoff. Combined Sewers - Older sewers that collect and mix runoff with wastewater. Sewage Treatment Plant - Cleans wastewater and runoff from sanitary and combined sewers before releasing it into Hamilton Harbour. Sewage Treatment Bypasses - Occurs when the sewage treatment plant receives too much wastewater. This leads to partially treated or untreated wastewater being released into Hamilton Harbour. Runoff occurs when it rains or when snow melts. Runoff is directed into storm sewers by downspouts, driveways, roads, sidewalks, roofs, decks and other hard surfaces. As runoff travels from downspouts and across lawns, gardens, and hard surfaces, it can become polluted. Some of the pollutants include: motor oil, antifreeze, salt, bacteria from pet waste, chemical pesticides, fertilizers, and soil. Storm sewers often release runoff into surface waters like rivers, creeks and lakes. This type of runoff is untreated and can pollute surface water. Sometimes storm sewers are linked to combined sewers. This mixes runoff with sewage and adds to the amount of wastewater that the sewage treatment plant must clean. This process can lead to sewage treatment bypasses. For example, many older Hamilton neighbourhoods have downspouts that are connected directly to combined sewers, leading to increased wastewater and possible sewage treatment bypasses. In newer neighbourhoods, runoff enters storm sewers. This runoff may become polluted and released untreated into surface water.

Two major sources of pollution in Hamilton Harbour are:

Nutrient Loading Sewage treatment plants represent a considerable source of nutrient loading to the harbour. Fertilizer use also plays a part. Total Suspended Solids Dirt from construction and erosion. The City of Hamilton is taking measures to help improve water quality and decrease runoff. Many improvements are being made to the wastewater infrastructure. These include Combined Sewage Overflow (CSO) tanks and improving sewage treatment facilities. The City is also considering green options like green roofs, rain gardens, and rain barrels. It is also important for homeowners to capture stormwater runoff or direct it to surfaces where it can soak into the ground. Find out methods of capturing stormwater on the reverse of this sheet.

Reducing Runoff Pollution

There are many steps that homeowners can take to prevent pollution from runoff. Downspout Disconnection Many older neighbourhoods have downspouts that are connected directly to sewers. This can cause water pollution and/or basement flooding. You are encouraged to direct downspouts to areas where stormwater can soak into the ground. These areas include lawns, gravel driveways, rain barrels, or rain gardens. Rain barrels Rain barrels capture and store stormwater, preventing it from entering sewers. The stored water can be used to water lawns and gardens. Rain barrels have a short payback period because rainwater can be used instead of tap water this saves money and protects the environment! Rain Gardens Rain gardens capture runoff and allow water to slowly soak into the ground. Rain gardens are an excellent and attractive way to help prevent water pollution and flooding. Green Roofs Green roofs act like sponges to soak up stormwater. The captured water is used by plants and released into the atmosphere through evaporation. Green roofs are used in many European countries and are becoming more popular in Canada and the United States. Cisterns Countless homeowners around the world collect rainwater using large tanks called cisterns. Stored water is used for lawns and gardens, flushing toilets, laundry, and even for drinking. Even though it is very popular in many places in the world, collecting rainwater is not common in southern Ontario. This is due mainly to the costs of designing and installing a rainwater system. In addition, municipal and provincial building codes make it hard to install them. However, there is a growing interest in rainwater collection with increased awareness and rising water rates. Urban Forest Trees are often overlooked when it comes to reducing runoff. Trees can capture around 25% of rainfall, which can significantly reduce stormwater volumes. Trees also clean the air, provide shade, contribute to energy savings, and beautify our city! Grey Water Grey water is used water from showers, baths, laundry, sinks, and kitchen uses. Grey water should not be confused with black water produced from toilet flushing or contaminated with chemicals. Some households collect grey water and use it to flush toilets or water gardens and lawns. Similar to collecting runoff with cisterns, installation costs and building codes are prohibitive. Reduce Household Water Use - Indoors and Outdoors! Of course, reducing your indoor and outdoor water use will also reduce the amount of wastewater created. This means creating less wastewater for the sewage treatment plant to clean, and helping to reduce pollution entering Hamilton Harbour. When you reduce your household water use, you can help improve water quality. Please contact Green Venture for more information on any of these topics.

There are examples of properties from all over the world that capture 100% of their stormwater.
The City of Maplewood, Minnesota uses rain gardens instead of curbs and sewers to capture stormwater. Every year 10 million square metres of green roof is installed in Germany.