How to Prevent Stormwater Pollution on The Jobsite
September 21, 2022
Stormwater pollution results from materials and chemicals getting washed into the storm drains from streets, gutters, neighborhoods, parking lots, and construction sites, and then ending up in our waterways. This type of pollution is significant because, unlike the water that goes down a sink or toilet in your home, stormwater is untreated and flows directly into our lakes, rivers, and oceans.
Stormwater systems were initially intended to route rainwater quickly off the streets during a heavy storm. Unfortunately, these systems can also carry pollutants such as pesticides, bacteria, and chemicals through city streets and straight to our waters which is detrimental to our wildlife and the environment.
Everyone plays a part in preventing pollution from entering storm drains, especially on construction sites. Read below to see how you can do your part to reduce stormwater pollution on the jobsite.
Reducing Stormwater Pollution
It’s essential on every worksite to minimize polluting stormwater runoff. When on the jobsite, make sure to execute the following:
- Put all litter into trash cans and not on the ground.
- Keep soil disturbances and the removal of trees and other plants to a minimum.
- Never dump chemicals, such as paints, oils, solvents, and fuels, onto the ground or sewers.
- Ensure that vehicles and machinery are not leaking oil and fuel.
- Cover mounds of dirt and any other types of fills with tarps to reduce runoff during rain.
- Utilize provided bathroom facilities.
- Follow all regulations on the proper treatment of water collected on the worksite.
- When chemicals or other materials spill onto the ground, utilize the best management procedures.
- Ensure all workers understand the expectations and ramifications of reducing stormwater pollution.
- Use waterway safe* and biodegradable solutions.
In many cases, national, state, and local regulations govern the treatment of a worksite from an environmental standpoint, and companies that are found to have polluted an area can be held liable for the cleanup.
Here at Bitu-Ox™, we have put years of research and development into our products to ensure they are safer, more effective alternatives to the hazardous chemicals many companies use worldwide. We pride ourselves in developing affordable, high-quality, certified biodegradable, and waterway safe* cleaners and degreasers that are both safer for our clients and the environment.
*Product ingredients, except for surfactants, demonstrate an acute aquatic toxicity equal to or greater than 100 mg/L. Surfactants demonstrate an aquatic toxicity of greater than or equal to 10 mg/L, but contain no products of concern and are readily biodegradable.
