Bangor Area Storm Water Group
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What is the Bangor Area Storm Water Group?
The
Bangor Area Storm Water Group (BASWG) is comprised of seven regulated municipalities,
nested regulated entities, Maine DEP, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
and the Penobscot County Soil & Water Conservation District working together
to meet permit requirements to make the Bangor Area a better place to live
and work.
What is Storm Water?
Storm water is water that accumulates on land as a result of storms, and can include runoff from urban areas such as roads and roofs.
Imagine
a raindrop falling from the sky. It first flows over your rooftop, across
the lawn and down your driveway. It makes its way along the sidewalk and
into the road. At this point in the storm water cycle, the raindrop is no
longer traveling alone; it has picked up some pesticides and fertilizer
from your lawn, a bit of bacteria from your pet's waste, as well as some
petroleum and oil from your driveway. Don't forget about the sediment from
the road or the gum wrapper and cigarette butts from the sidewalk.
As the raindrop continues down the road, it might flow directly into your local river or lake, or it might go through a ditch or a storm drain. If it flows into a storm drain it continues to flow through an underground network of pipes, where it discharges through an outfall, untreated, into your local swimming hole.
Now imagine an entire storm — lots of raindrops — or lots of melting snow — acting like a giant broom sweeping the pollutants into streams and ponds, then into Maine's rivers, lakes, and ocean! It happens, over and over again every season, every year, and it's called stormwater pollution!