AN INTRODUCTION TO STORMWATER
Created for use with the Renew Our Waters – An Introduction to Stormwater Power Point Presentation
Adapted from the Introduction to Storm Water: Impacts to Solutions
From the Earth Partnership for Schools
Storm Water Curriculum & Teaching Guide, January 2006
We encourage you to add local interest and information. Depending on your knowledge of the topic,
you may want to expand the script to include regional examples.
The script is designed to follow the powerpoint presentation. Advance a slide (by clicking your mouse)
and then begin the script associated with that slide. The majority of the slides are designed to have
bulleted script coming in (as animation) on a mouse click. Anytime you see an asterisk (*), on the script,
hit your mouse button for the next bullet to come up.
Information in parentheses/italics is extra information for the presenter.
1
2
3
Introduction
Slide
Water
enjoyed by
everyone.
Every Choice
Counts
4
Ground
Water
5
Surface
Water
Water Cycle
1
6
(To be left on the screen until the presentation starts. Presentation actually begins
with Slide 2.)
Northeast Wisconsin’s Waters are enjoyed by people of all ages, all year round.
(Invite students to mention ways they enjoy Wisconsin’s waters)
*click to reveal intro to next slide
Every choice counts. We all live in a watershed and play a role in the health of its
land and water. One way to take part in a healthy watershed is to understand
storm water issues and take positive steps to improve water running over the land
in our communities. Storm water has become one of the greatest problems to the
watershed environment. Today we will learn about stormwater impacts and how
to reduce those impacts.
Water – clean, good tasting water is important to all of us.
*click to reveal one reason why
You may not realize it, but approximately 80% of everyone in Wisconsin drinks
water from wells. We depend on having a reliable ground water supply
We also value surface water: our lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands. These two
things- water from the ground and our surface waterways – are connected.
Do you remember learning about the water cycle?
*Click 6 times to reveal cycle:
It rains; water flows down into streams and lakes, evaporates, forms clouds and
then becomes rain again. That’s it, right???
7
Water Cycle
2
8
Prairie Photo
9
River photo
10 How it gets
there
11 Roadway
12 Polluted Bay
13 How it gets
there Stormwater
14 How it gets
there storm drains
What is often not seen is the critical part where rain or snowmelt soaks into the
ground to become groundwater.
(Point out the various parts of the water cycle in the graphic)
There are two ways water travels to area lakes, streams & rivers.
*Click to reveal
Infiltration & Runoff
When rain falls here onto natural land, especially land filled with native prairie
plants
*Click to reveal
Water can soak into the ground.
This natural prairie landscape has deep root systems that act like straws and direct
rainwater into the ground.
The water moves underground, becoming ground water and eventually
*Click to reveal
Ends up in our local rivers, lakes and streams.
We can see ground water once again becoming surface water most clearly through
Natural Springs like the one pictured. This water has been filtered through plants,
rocks, sand and soil so it is clean when entering waterways.
Rain that falls here onto city roads, parking lots, rooftops and other hard surfaces
without intervention,
*Click to reveal
Becomes urban runoff or stormwater.
This water also moves underground but instead of making it’s way through rocks,
dirt and sand it travels through a series of stormwater pipes until
*Click to reveal
It ultimately ends up in a local waterbody.
This photo of the Bay of Green Bay in Brown County was taken Tuesday, April 12,
2011 after a severe storm event the weekend before. This photo shows runoff
entering the Bay of Green Bay. Although, the large sediment plumb was generated
from up-stream agricultural runoff not urban runoff this photo show the
significance of polluted runoff to local water quality.
It is important to note that
STORMWATER runoff is rain or snowmelt
AND
Water from things people do, like overwatering the lawn or washing their car on
the driveway
Water that falls onto hard urban surfaces follows the road or parking lot to a storm
drain.
*Click to reveal
As stormwater makes its way to the storm drain it picks up pollutants like oil from
car leaks, fertilizers from yards and bacteria from pet waste.
*Click to reveal
Water enters the storm drain, carrying all sorts of pollutants with it.
15 How it gets
there discharge
pipe
16 Increasing
Surface
Runoff
17 Aerial photo
of
conservation
subdivision
18 Aerial urban
19 Flooded
stream photo
20 Street
flooding
photo
21 Eroded
22
stream bank
photo
Green Water
photo
Once inside the storm drain, the water and pollutants follow a series of
underground pipes. Often urban runoff, stormwater, is directly discharged into
nearby water bodies without any water quality treatment.
According to the U.S Environmental Protection Agency – Untreated Runoff is the
biggest threat to our nation’s water quality.
Runoff can come from urban, rural or agricultural sources. Today, we are focusing
on the impacts of urban stormwater runoff.
Urbanization significantly changes the water balance especially in regard to
Increasing Surface Runoff.
Before land is developed with houses, businesses and roads – 50% of the water
soaks in and only 10% runs off.
Then as development takes place, more and more water runs off instead of
soaking in. In a typical community, 35% soaks in and 30% runs off. In a
commercial area with large roofs and parking lots, very little water soaks in – only
15%. Just about a reverse of what happens naturally.
This wasn’t as great a problem
*Click to reveal
When cities and the amount of impervious or hard surfaces were small.
(This aerial photo is of a conservation subdivision where special practices have
been put in to encourage infiltration; point out the green space areas)
But as cities grew, the problem grew
(Note the increased built area and the lack of green space or lawns.)
Urbanization significantly changes the amount of hard (impervious) surface. As
impervious surface increases so does the amount of stormwater runoff.
This is a photo of a flooded stream. In a natural watershed the water level in the
stream will gradually rise and then fall after a rain. This is because much of the
water from the rainstorm soaks into the ground and gradually enters the stream
from underground.
However, when a watershed has been developed and impervious surfaces have
increased. The water runs in tremendous volumes and with great force
immediately following the rain event, this can flood local streams and rivers where
the runoff is discharged. The water levels of these same streams and rivers will
then quickly drop down because very little water soaks into the ground to later
feed the stream. Therefore, in many parts of our state streams that once flowed
year-round now have extreme floods in the spring and then dry up.
The change in how water flows in streams causes many problems. Flooded city
streets have become more common in many communities in Wisconsin during
rainy seasons in recent years. Flooding is not just a problem for cities but farmland
too. Many farmers who are downstream from cities are finding their fields
flooding more often, not only in the spring but sometimes several times a year.
The great force of the increased runoff causes massive erosion along stream banks.
The line of rocks shows where the original stream bank was and how much land
eroded away.
Too much water isn’t our only concern; it’s also what’s in the runoff. Urbanization
increases the pollutants in stormwater runoff and decreases the water quality in
our local streams, rivers and lakes.
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
If you need to cut slides due to time constraints the slides between the two grey
lines can be removed without jeopardizing the message
Nutrients
There are many pollutants in stormwater runoff.
Nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous are substances needed for growth,
but elevated levels can cause a health hazard in drinking water and stimulate
excessive aquatic plant growth, which can ultimately lower dissolved oxygen levels.
(Students can be encouraged to discuss how nutrients may enter stormwater)
*click to view sources of nutrients – have students read together
Pathogens
Pathogens are disease-causing bacteria and viruses associated with the presence
of fecal matter that cause beach closures.
(Students can be encouraged to discuss how pathogens may enter stormwater)
*click to view sources of pathogens – have students read together
Debris
Debris includes plastics and other trash that threaten aquatic life and detract from
recreational and aesthetic values
(Students can be encouraged to discuss how debris may enter stormwater)
*click to view sources of debris – have students read together
Sediment
Sediment is eroded soil or sand which smothers aquatic habitat, carries pollutants,
and reduces water clarity.
(Students can be encouraged to discuss how sediment may enter stormwater)
*click to view sources of sediment – have students read together
Toxic
Toxic contaminants are compounds like heavy metals and pesticides that can
Contaminants threaten the health of both aquatic and human life, and are often resistant to
breakdown.
(Students can be encouraged to discuss how toxic contaminants may enter
stormwater)
*click to view sources of toxic contaminants – have students read together
Thermal
Thermal stress is an elevation in water temperature that can harm native species
Stress
while helping nonnative species to spread
(Students can be encouraged to discuss how urbanization would increase thermal
stress)
*click to view sources that elevate water temperature – have students read
together
If you need to cut slides due to time constraints the slides between the two grey
lines can be removed without jeopardizing the message
Turning
Healthy streams have bottoms rich with cobbles, gravels or sand and are habitats
Healthy
for many animals,
Streams
*Click 2 times to reveal
large ( A rusty crayfish)
*Click 2 times to reveal
and small (A mayfly… the foundation of the water food chain)
depend on healthy streams
*Click to reveal
Polluted runoff is turning our healthy streams….
30 Into
Unsuitable
Homes
31 Dump no
waste, drains
to stream.
32 Decrease
Quantity
33 Less Hard
Surface
34 Rain Gardens
35 Rain Barrels
36 Redirect
Down Spouts
37 Water less
38 Increase
39
Quality
Mowing
40 Fertilizing &
Weed
Control
Into Unsuitable Homes
Again, notice the bottom of this stream, rich with cobbles, gravels and sand…
*Click to reveal
Soil from runoff fills in the spaces between the rocks eliminating important
habitat. What was once a vibrant stream with deep holes, rocky riffles and clean
bottoms is now a muddy bottom where little can live except for very hardy worms
and insects.
*Click to reveal
Soil and Fertilizers together do the same thing they do on land – grow plants.
These plants can cause significant problems for aquatic life, like fish, when they
grow excessively.
What we do at home, at school and at work affects our lakes, streams and rivers.
We can decrease the quantity of polluted runoff entering our rivers and lakes.
The more concrete or blacktop property has, the more water will run off the
property and into storm drains and ditches.
*Click to reveal benefits – 2 fly ins
(Encourage student participation reading bulleted points)
A Rain Garden is a shallow depression planted with native plants. They collect and
temporarily hold runoff water, promoting infiltration and removing pollutants.
*Click to reveal benefits – 1 fly ins
(Encourage student participation reading bulleted points)
A rain barrel captures water that flows from a home’s roof through downspouts.
Water collected can be used to water plants throughout the yard
*Click to reveal benefits – 2 fly ins
(Encourage student participation reading bulleted points)
Redirect downspouts onto an unpaved surface.
*Click to reveal benefits – 1 fly ins
(Encourage student participation reading bulleted points)
When watering is needed use a sprinkler that shoots low to the ground. Sprinkle
soil, not the street.
*Click to reveal benefits – 2 fly ins
(Encourage student participation reading bulleted points)
We can increase the quality of runoff entering our rivers and lakes
Grass clippings that are entering our local waterways are contributing to the green
algae blooms we are seeing in waters throughout Northeast Wisconsin.
To help keep grass clippings out of the stormwater
*Click to reveal “To keep grass clippings out of the stormwater”
*Click to reveal what students can do to impact water quality – 2 fly ins
(Encourage student participation reading bulleted points)
Chemicals and weed killers are not needed for a healthy lawn, and they’re one of
the main reasons we have green algae in our lakes and streams.
*Click to reveal what students can do to impact water quality – 3 fly ins.
(Encourage student participation reading bulleted points)
41 Pet Waste
42 Car Washing
43 Vehicle
Maintenance
44 Mindful
Driving
45 Household
Hazardous
Waste
46 Dump no
47
waste –
drains to
stream
Credits
Pet waste is not only an unpleasant find on yard or sidewalk, but it carries bacteria
that contribute to beach closings in the summer.
*Click to reveal what students can do to impact water quality – 3 fly ins.
(Encourage student participation reading bulleted points)
When you wash your car in a driveway or street, wash water flows into the storm
drain and directly into local rivers – along with dirt, emission and detergent
*Click to reveal what students can do to impact water quality – 3 fly ins.
(Encourage student participation reading bulleted points)
From time to time, we’ve all notices an oily sheen on water in streets and parking
lots. It’s the result of small leaks, accumulated residues, and fuel overfills from our
cars. When a vehicle is maintained, fewer leaks spill onto streets and highways
and fewer contaminants enter our stream.
*Click to reveal what students can do to impact water quality – 1 fly in.
(Encourage student participation reading bulleted points)
We all know air quality is affected by vehicle emissions. But did you know
emissions affect water quality?
Tiny particles emitted from tail pipes settle on roadways, wash into storm drains
then flow to rivers and streams. Street sweeping can minimize the impact of this
pollution but rain and melting snow still carry contaminants to storm drains.
*Click to reveal what students can do to impact water quality – 3 fly ins.
(Encourage student participation reading bulleted points)
Certain household chemicals, when not used up properly become household
hazardous waste. Products such as: Cleaning products and wash water, food oils
and grease, automotive oil, grease and waste fluids, paint, petroleum-based
solvents, rodent baits, batteries, herbicides, pesticides, concrete wash water, and
sidewalk salt contain the same chemicals as strictly regulated industrial wastes.
*Click to reveal what students can do to impact water quality – 3 fly ins
(Encourage student participation reading bulleted points – Make sure to read
between each bullet)
Handle with Care - To avoid the potential risks associated with household wastes,
always have an adult monitor the use, storage and disposal of products with
potentially hazardous substances.
Dispose of properly - All of the counties in Northeast Wisconsin have Household
Hazardous Waste drop off programs or collection days, often referred to as Clean
Sweep days or programs. Contact your local environmental, health or solid waste
agency for instructions on proper use and disposal.
Use less – The quantity of waste from a single household may be small but that
quantity adds up fast considering the number of households in Northeast
Wisconsin
If you wouldn’t dump it in the river, don’t let it touch parking lots, soil or any other
place where it can be washed into a ditch or storm drain. Every choice we make
counts.