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Project sponsored by IUN Physical Plant & Erin P. Argyilan (Dept. of Geosciences)
Stormwater, also commonly called runoff, is water generated by rainfall or snowmelt that flows over the ground. Stormwater can be a problem when the quantity of water resulting from a storm is more than the ground can naturally absorb. Man-made surfaces including roads, sidewalks, and parking lots are impervious and prevent water from infiltrating in to the ground and recharging the groundwater system. Instead, after a storm, water runs over these surfaces and can overwhelm municipal sewer and drainage systems. As stormwater moves over the land surface it can pick up chemicals like pesticides and fertilizers from lawns, gasoline and oil on the streets, road salt, dirt, trash and other pollutants that degrade the water quality.
When a storm occurs at IUN, these sources of nonpoint source pollution (NPS) are incorporated in stormwater and can be discharged directly in to nearby waterbodies - including the Little Calumet River - through combined sewer overflows (CSOs) .
Nonpoint Source Pollution (NPS) - is pollution that does not have a single, identifiable source such as an industrial pipe. Instead, NPS pollution comes from dispersed sources like farmfields, roadways, cities, and towns. NPS pollution is caused when water from rainfall or snow melt picks up and carries natural and man-made pollution that is ultimately transported to nearby waterways including lakes, wetalnds, rivers, the ocean, and even in to groundwater! Once in natural waterways, NPS pollution can contaminate drinking water and it degrades and damages ecosystems. (*for more information on nonpoint source pollution visit the EPA website. )
Combined Sewer Systems (CSSs) & Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) - Combined sewer systems are designed to collect rainwater runoff and snowmelt, domestic sewage, and industrial wastewater in the same pipe. Under normal climate conditions, combined sewer systems transport this wastewater to the Gary Sanitary District, where it is treated and then discharged to the Grand Calumet River. During periods of heavy rainfall or snowmelt, however, the volume of water can exceed the capacity of the sewer system or the treatment plant. when this happens, combined sewer systems are designed to overflow and discharge excess wastewater directly to nearby streams, rivers, or other water bodies. This wastewater can contain surface stormwater, untreated human waste, and industrial wastewater! There is a combined sewer system that runs along Broadway near IUN. During heavy rainfalls or snowmelts CSOs are released directly in to the Little Calumet River which ultimately flows in to Lake Michigan. CSO's from these systems can degrade water quality in Lake Michigan causing beach closures and affecting the safety of local drinking water. (*for more information visit the EPA website on Combined Sewer Overflows)
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| Tags and stamps like these are placed on stormwater drains around campus to remind us that water and materials entering these systems flows directly to the Little Calumet River. | Water-conscious landscaping can be an affective and low-cost way to manage stormwater. Stormwater catchments are low-lying areas found around campus to promote drainage and provide temporary storage of stormwater. (this photo shows a stormwater catchment on the Bloomington campus) | |
Here at IUN you can help to protect the water quality of the Little Calumet River and Lake Michigan by helping to reduce NPS pollution on campus and nearby. As a commuter campus, many of us forget to treat this campus and the surroundings like a home away from home. But what you do while you are on campus can make a difference!
*for more information on ways to reduce NPS pollution beyond IUN, visit the EPA website.
| Stormwater can quickly become your problem when it leads to flooding, beach closures, or degrades the quality of your local drinking water supply. Long-term problems associated with stormwater include degradation of the water quality and ecosystems of local rivers, streams, wetlands and even Lake Michigan! In September of 2008 the campus of IUN was closed for two weeks due to the flooding that resulted from major storms associated with hurricane Ike. Parts of Lake and Porter County were declared National Disaster Areas as communities were devastated by the high waters of the Little Calumet River. The long-term environmental and health affects of the 2008 flooding remain unknown. |  |
For more information contact Dr. Erin P. Argyilan