Study the impact that polluted urban runoff from their neighborhoods and school sites has in local waterways.
Present their recommendations to community stakeholders
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Collect data to document the potential pollutants and water quality at the school site.
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Develop and implement educational and structural solutions to reduce pollutants entering storm drains.
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Stormwater pollution poses a significant threat to our local waterways, and in San Diego County, that includes our coastal beaches and lagoons. Not only is the health of aquatic habitats at stake, but urban runoff impacts human health as well – it’s the main reason the County recommends beach closures for 72-hours after a rainfall. When it rains, urban runoff picks up pollutants as it flows through the watershed before discharging into the ocean.
Learn more about the SWPPP Internship™ Program.
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Dry weather runoff, also called urban drool, is the water you see in the gutter outside when it’s not raining. The most common sources are from water used while car washing or from sprinkler overspray. It’s a problem because the water running off your driveway or your sidewalk carries pollutants like soap, heavy metals, and fertilizers as it flows down the street. This urban drool eventually flows into storm drains, impacting the water quality downstream because it isn’t cleaned before it moves into the waterways like rivers, lakes, streams, and even the ocean.
Click here to learn more about the Dry Weather Runoff Action Plan. |
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Sixth grade students from Flora Vista Elementary in Encinitas, California study the issue of Dry Weather Urban Runoff and develop BMPs or best management practices for their community. They present their work and BMPs to the team at US EPA that developed one of the tools they used to conduct their research.
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Trash on the ground blows or washes into storm drains and eventually makes its way into our waterways as it travels to lakes, bays, estuaries or the ocean. The most common types of this migrating trash are cigarette butts, food and drink containers and plastic bags. The occurrence of trash in our local waters is harmful to marine wildlife, shorebirds and the health of all citizens. It also impacts the use and enjoyment of our beaches and lakes.
In order to combat this problem, California’s State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) adopted new requirements to their existing regulations regarding trash in and around state waters. These new requirements are known as the “Trash Amendments" and call to eliminate all trash in California's waterways. Click here to learn more about the Trash Amendment Action Plan. |
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Students from the Carlsbad Union School District discuss the new Trash Amendments added to California’s clean water regulations and work as City consultants to collect data and recommend BMPs.
Click on the image to the right to open a link to their presentation in Vimeo. |
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