How Does Stormwater Affect Our Life

Each year 1.2 trillion gallons of untreated sewage, storm water, and industrial waste are dumped into U.S. waters. Stormwater, according to United States Environmental Protection Agency, is runoff that flowed through any surface modified by humans. With the addition of more urbanized areas, the increasing damages of stormwater which has been revealed as a danger to life.
Storm water damages all life, including mankind. More specifically, stormwater damages the aquatic life due to the water chemistry changing. Metals and organic chemicals are being brought into rivers, ponds, and lakes by stormwater. Left untreated the ecosystem will suffer and certain toxins impact heavier on certain organisms than others. For example, a study in Los Angeles …show more content…
Organic chemicals carried in by polluted water has a negative effect on the growth and development of aquatic organisms. Additionally, stormwater has proven to be a threat to the health of man-kind. According to Natural Defense Council, additional sediments to an extreme allows pathogens to rapidly grow. Therefore, stormwater drained out into body of waters experience a high level of different bacteria, viruses and protozoa. In addition, the drinking water is being threaten by stormwater. Roughly 90% of United States citizens rely on public drinking water which comes from rivers and lakes around the country. 19% of the drinking water is contaminated with bacteria and other toxins from stormwater. This shortens our drinking supply, increasing the cost of a precious, valuable resource, water. To remove theses harmful toxins in the water would cost millions to billions of dollars per clean up. Billions of dollars have been lost in tourism due to stormwater, and other water pollution. The additional sediments being dumped into the oceans decrease the water clarity.