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Wet Weather Pollution of the Great Lakes Region Storm Water, Combined Sewer Overflow and Sanitary Sewer Overflow What's New | Overview | General Resources | Related Resources 
What's New Ohio farms flush with manure The Columbus Dispatch (1/17) Agriculture officials are concerned that some farmers will spread manure on snow-covered, frozen fields this winter, where it may then be washed into nearby streams by sudden thaws or unseasonal rain. COMMENTARY: Protect waterways from combined sewer overflows The Northwest Indiana Times (1/9) Indiana may need legislative assistance in finding innovative ways to fix issues contributing to the 24 billion gallons of combined untreated sewage and stormwater that is dumped annually into the Great Lakes. Who will foot bill for cleaner water? The Columbus Dispatch (12/7) The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is still working to figure out who will be required to take potentially expensive steps to reduce pollution caused by fertilizer, manure and sewage that wash into area waterways. Debris on Michigan beaches tied to Milwaukee sewer overflows Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (11/21) Some of the debris that washed up on Michigan beaches in 2008 and 2010 likely came from Milwaukee sewer overflows. Bill seeks to bolster beach monitoring and accelerate public awareness Great Lakes Echo (10/18) Great Lakes beaches will have more strict, comprehensive monitoring and faster public warnings of contamination if two U.S. Senators have their way. EDITORIAL: Lake Erie dead again? Detroit Free Press (10/16) By several important measures, Lake Erie -- generally considered the bellwether for the health of the other four Great Lakes -- has declined to a point as bad as or worse than it has ever been.
Overview Wet weather pollution includes stormwater runoff and combined sewer overflows. Stormwater runoff is the excess water that flows over land during and after a rainfall, which can cause flooding, erosion and pollution problems. Pollutants like coliform bacteria, heavy metals, nutrients, oil and grease, organic priority pollutants and suspended solids enter rivers and lakes during storms. Combined sewer overflows are structural devices on combined sewer systems that divert untreated sewage mixed with stormwater to tributary rivers or directly into the Great Lakes. Pollution from these sources degrades the water quality of these rivers and lakes. References: Rouge River National Wet Weather Demonstration Project Programs in the Great Lakes, U.S. Geological Survey
General Resources Programs in the Great Lakes U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) The USGS leads investigations that characterize storm-related water quantity and quality from selected CSO's, thus allowing the USGS to make better estimates of annual pollutant loads from CSO's to the Great Lakes. Rouge River National Wet Weather Demonstration Project The Rouge Project recognizes the importance of addressing wet weather pollution problems in the river and developing a cost-effective watershed wide approach to deal with them. Summary of Great Lakes Beach Closings 1981-1994 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) The Beach Closing Summary presents the findings of 14 years of annual surveys of Great Lakes bathing beaches. SWMM: Storm Water Management Model U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) SWMM is a large, complex model capable of simulating the movement of precipitation and pollutants from the ground surface through pipe and channel networks, storage treatment units and finally to receiving waters. Water, Sewer and Stormwater Utility's Guide to Financial and Technical Assistance Programs, Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection This guide lists state and federal agencies and private groups ready to provide financial and technical assistance to support the development and rehabilitation of wastewater, drinking water and stormwater systems. Wet Weather Discharges U.S. Enviromental Protection Agency (EPA) The NPDES Support and Technical Assistance Branch provides regulatory and technical assistance to states and the regulated community in fulfilling their commitments under the NPDES program for wet weather discharges due to storm water, combined sewer overflow and sanitary sewer ovewflow.
Related Resources GLIN: Toxic Contamination in the Great Lakes Region GLIN: Water Quality in the Great Lakes Region
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