The Greenbelt Homes Inc. (GHI) Storm Water Task Force sponsored an information table at the Greenbelt Farmers Market on June 11. Visitors to the market stopped by the table to learn about stormwater runoff issues in GHI and greater Greenbelt and what homeowners can do on their property to reduce runoff.
The basic problem is that rain results in runoff from rooftops, driveways, lawns, sidewalks, streets and parking areas and, along the way, collects toxic pollutants such as pesticides, motor oil, pet waste and plastic materials. The runoff flows into storm drains that discharge polluted water into local streams that eventually drain into the Anacostia River and the Chesapeake Bay.
This runoff is a major contributor to the well-documented problems of pollution, unsafe water quality and diminished habitat for marine life in the Anacostia and Chesapeake. Runoff also diminishes the quality of three Greenbelt streams – Beaverdam Creek, Indian Creek and Still Creek. Improper runoff can be a factor in water collecting in crawl spaces and basements of homes as well, an issue that has affected some GHI homes.
Read more of this story in the June 15 News Review