Stormwater Quality

Stormwater Quality and Why It Is a Concern:

Anytime it rains, water falls onto many different surfaces, and depending on the surface, it either enters the ground, or runs off to another location. For instance, if rain falls on grass, a portion soaks into the ground, but if it lands on a paved parking lot, it runs off the lot to another location. Within the urbanized area of the Town of Ellettsville, much of the rain runs off of driveways, parking lots and streets, where it picks up oil, grease, sediments and many other pollutants that are harmful to the environment. To report erosion problems at construction sites, please call the Ellettsville Planning Department at (812) 876-8008.

Many people don't realize that polluted runoff from impervious surfaces (like pavement) runs into storm drain inlets which drain directly into streams and other water bodies (including drinking water supplies such as Lake Monroe). This type of pollution is called non-point source pollution because the overall pollution comes from many different sources. Polluted runoff damages and kills vegetation, fish and wildlife habitats. Runoff from failing septic systems and farms can cause E. coli levels in waterways to become dangerous to human health, and can cause overproduction of algae in lakes and ponds which leads to fish kills. The only way to lessen this pollution is to reduce the amount of pollutants washed away by stormwater.