How do our waterways get so polluted?

When it rains, any drop of water that does not evaporate or soak into the ground is called stormwater. Stormwater  picks  up pollutants such as sediment, lawn fertilizers, pesticides, pet waste, heavy metals, gas and oil,  and carries them  to the nearest storm drain or stream.   As stormwater travels over impervious surfaces such as rooftops, roadways and parking lots, it picks up speed and causes erosion.

How do pollutants affect the health of our waterways?

Loose soil particles called sediment cloud the water, preventing sunlight from reaching underwater grasses.  Without sunlight, these grasses cannot produce oxygen needed to support life.

When nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizers, wastewater and septic tanks cause algae blooms.  These microscopic plants block sunlight from reaching underwater grasses.  When algae die, they sink to the bottom of rivers where they are decomposed by oxygen eating bacteria.

Excess sediment and nutrients in our waterways cause dead zones, areas where oxygen is so low that nothing can survive.

Every resident of Anne Arundel County can make a positive difference and do something to improve our watersheds….  be part of the solution.