Articles: Nov 2, 2012
Below are ten things you can do around your home, in your yard and in the community to help reduce the flow of storm water pollution to the Bay.
Blog Post: Jun 9, 2011
At a Cupertino City Council meeting on Tuesday Steve Jobs presented his vision for a new Apple campus, where about 80% of the 150 acre site would be landscaped with permeable surfaces. He may not know it, but this is probably one of the largest low impact development (LID) projects in the Bay Area and will drastically reduce the amount of stormwater and contaminants coming from this urbanized site.
BK In The News: Mar 1, 2011
In Marin this rainy season, about three million gallons of raw sewage has spilled into the bay according to the watchdog group SF Baykeeper. Sewage spills, large and small, are common in Marin and storm water runoff is a persistent problem, carrying – unfiltered -- everything from heavy metals to pesticide, animal waste, disease-causing bacteria and garbage into our creek system and on into the bay and ocean.
Blog Post: Jan 11, 2011
If you're a resident of San Francisco, check out this special SFPUC program to help you reduce water consumption and storm water pollution to the Bay by installing a rainwater harvesting system. SFPUC is offering discounted rain barrels and cisterns for residents, businesses and schools, and for the month of January, they're throwing in free curbside delivery (no small matter for a 60-gallon rain barrel). Click here to learn more about the SFPUC's discounted rain barrel program.
Blog Post: Dec 1, 2009
In October 2009 the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board adopted the final Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit, pursuant to the Clean Water Act. Also known as an MS4 permit, this document describes the requirements cities are required to follow in regards to stormwater and the associated pollution which enters the Bay through storm drains.
Bay Crossings Column: Jan 1, 2009
While the rainy season in the Bay Area can mean an end to nice weather and much-loved outdoor activities, it’s an important and productive time for our environment – rain prompts new plant growth after many dry months and replenishes water reserves for drinking and irrigation. In urban areas like ours, however, rain also becomes polluted runoff as it hits our streets and driveways, washing grease, oil, trash and fertilizer residue into San Francisco Bay.
Bay Crossings Column: Apr 1, 2008
Bay Area storm drains tie into our creeks and empty into the Bay without any treatment or filtering. So when it rains, the cigarette butts, automotive fluids, pet waste, household gardening chemicals, and trash accumulated in gutters is washed into local creeks and the Bay. In fact, polluted rainwater accounts for the largest source of pollution to the Bay. Any material or substance left exposed to the elements can be carried into our waterways by stormwater.
