 |
 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
| |||||
Air Quality Coastal Management Ecosystem Management Habitat Islands Land Use Sustainable Development Wetlands Water BeachCast Conservation Levels and Hydrology Quality Quantity and Use Rivers and Lakes Watersheds Flora and Fauna Biodiversity Endangered Species Forests Invasive Species Invasive Mapping People Plants Wildlife Pollution Air Toxics Areas of Concern Human Health Pollution Prevention Soil Erosion Toxic Contamination References Agencies & Organizations Environmental Justice Laws and Policy Sanctuaries and Reserves Research Weather and Climate Legislative Tracking Great Lakes Priorities Legislative News Lake Conditions Lake Erie Lake Huron Lake Michigan Lake Ontario Lake Superior Also: Lake St. Clair |
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 Worth Township case back with Court of Appeals The Times Herald (7/4) Worth Township won’t likely be getting an immediate answer regarding whether it must pay for work to keep raw sewage from seeping into Lake Huron. Flood muddies Lake Superior like never before Duluth News-Tribune (6/28) If you are wondering where all that sand, gravel, mud, debris, dirt and clay went after last week's torrential rain and flood in the Duluth area, just look out at Lake Superior. Duluth Lakewalk sewage overflow tank gets to work Duluth News Tribune (4/17) The concrete bunker along the Lakewalk in downtown Duluth, Minn., did its job Monday by stopping 2.5 million gallons of a mix of raw sewage and rainwater from flowing into Lake Superior. Technology could help cut sewer overflows South Bend Tribune (2/19) South Bend is turning to sensors and computers instead of pipes and tanks in hopes of keeping untreated wastewater from flowing into the St. Joseph River during heavy rain storms. 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.
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 GLRI Beach Sanitary Survey Projects U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) Multiple projects were funded by GLRI to assess sources of contamination affecting hundreds of Great Lakes beaches. Several of the projects also involve mitigating the contamination sources, including waterfowl management, replacing impervious pavement with permeable materials, and managing wet weather through green infrastructure approaches such as green roofs and rain gardens. EPA is monitoring the progress of these projects, and housing data collected with the sanitary surveys. 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. 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
| |
|
News | Calendar | Great Links | SOTM | E-Lists | Info Center | About GLIN The Great Lakes | Environment | Economy | Education | Maps and GIS | Tourism Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. |
||
