|
| |
| |
"HOT"
Water Issues
 I'm
the Water Man.
This is where
you find important issues about WATER!!
|
|
This is a picture of a local business where
there is almost
no vegetation. Vegetation can
help stop run-off, so a limited amount of pollution goes into
our creeks. |
This is an example of an improperly-installed
silt screen. As a result, it doesn't filter the run-off from the construction
site. Eventually, soil run-off reaches our creeks, polluting it with increased
sediment. |
| |
Local Growth and Development
|
| |
Because of local growth and development in Phenix City,
land is being cleared, taking away the only protection the water has,
natural vegetation. Vegetation is nature's natural filtration system.
It includes shrubs, grass, trees, and other plants which take in and filter
run-off from construction sites, fertilizer from golf courses and lawns,
oil from cars, and pesticides from agricultural sites.
Environmental experts call
places where there is little or no vegetation and impervious surfaces,
like concrete, "concrete jungles". Urban stormwater run-off
happens when rain flows over roads, golf courses, construction sites,
lawns, and picks up pollution along the way. This run-off then flows into
our creeks, which supply our drinking water, and eventually into the Chattahoochee
River.
|
| |
Non-point Sources
of Pollution
|
| |
A non-point source of pollution
is one that is not easily determined where it came from; also called "washed
in"
|
| |
Such As:
- Fertilizer from lawns, golf courses,
and parks
- Pesticides
- Manure from farms
- Run-off from washing cars at home
- Eroding creek banks
- Construction site run-off
- Oil from cars and outboard motors
- Raw sewage from overflowing storm
drains
|
| |
Clean Water
Act
- This act, created in 1972, is the
Federal Water Pollution Control Act, more commonly known as the Clean
Water Act.
- The Clean Water Act is designed to
"restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity
of the nations water".
- In 1987, a new act, the Water Quality
Act, strengthened the '72 act by examining pollution from non-point
sources and requiring states to try to deal with this problem.
|
| |
Trees
- According toPhenix City's zoning ordinances, there
is no requirement for keeping or adding any trees or other vegetation
on property that has been developed.
- Trees provide numerous benefits for erosion control.
- Trees soak in hundreds
of gallons of rain water that could help prevent flooding,
control stormwater run-off, and ultimately improve the quality of creek
water by slowing down heavy rain before it enters our creeks
- Please contact your local city
councilpersons and ask them to support the tree ordinance we are working
with Councilman Oswalt to pass.
|
| |
|
| |
Safe Dumping
- Currently, there are no places in
our city to dump household chemicals safely, except for motor oil. Motor
oil from automobiles may be dumped at the Salem Landfill.
Phenix City's landfill only takes construction and demolition wastes.
|
| |
|
