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City of Melrose |
| Stormwater Plan |
What is stormwater?
Stormwater is excess rain that does not soak into the
ground. You can see it in the
gutter of the street during a rain storm. In
densely developed areas, like
Runoff collects in the gutter of Main Street and flows into a catch basin on a rainy day.
Unlike our household plumbing, catch basins and storm drains do not go to the sewage treatment plant. Instead, the pipes flow directly into wetlands, ponds, and rivers, without being treated. As it flows through our yards and streets, stormwater can collect pollutants that can harm human health and our fragile ecosystems. Examples of pollutants that stormwater can transport include: fertilizers containing harmful nutrients, oil, grease, viruses, bacteria, toxic metals, sediment, and salts.
Stormwater, if not properly managed, can be very damaging to our waterbodies. Local ponds, like Ell Pond and Swains Pond, receive much of their water from stormwater. But, the effects of stormwater reach farther than just polluting the waters. As many residents have experienced, stormwater can cause flooding, degradation of habitats, sewage backups, and erosion.