Everything You Need to Know About Stormwater Runoff
If you own or manage an industrial property, you may have heard of a program called the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). Established in 1972 as a provision of the Clean Water Act, the NPDES program empowers the EPA to authorize state governments to address water pollution, in particular by regulating “point sources that discharge pollutants to waters of the United States” (1). Among these point sources are municipal sewage systems, construction activities, and various industries, and the EPA has enforced stormwater controls that are called “best management practices” (BMPs) to prevent rain and snowmelt from transporting “trash, chemicals, oils, and dirt/sediment that can harm our rivers, streams, lakes, and coastal waters” (2). One BMP that has been instituted is the regular inspection of stormwater runoff from industrial properties; EPA inspectors make occasional visits to test the particulates of properties’ runoff, and fines and various other regulations are enforced to mitigate these properties’ pollution. The benefits of this program are, of course, numerous: wetlands and aquatic ecosystems are protected, water resources are conserved, and public health is stewarded, to name a few. Unfortunately, however, these regulations pose a challenge to industrial properties, especially during stormy seasons that deposit large quantities of water on your property. The best way to ensure your industrial, commercial, residential, or other type of property passes these inspections is to keep it clean of the very debris that inspectors measure, like chemicals, dirt, and trash. Routine sweeping services are imperative for both preventing harmful fines from crippling your budget and for protecting precious waters. Crown Maintenance has years of experience helping property owners and managers with just these challenges; we are knowledgeable about sweeping practices that are environmentally friendly and that reduce and eliminate harmful particulate matter from your runoff. So whether you manage a carpet manufacturer, a chemical laboratory, an oil refinery, or a distribution center, contact Crown today by calling or sending us a bid request form, and we will be happy to help you protect the environment—and protect your company from exorbitant fines!
