Storm water pollution happens
because dirty water contaminated with stuff like trash, cigarette butts and
animal waste, goes from the street into our creeks, rivers and the ocean. This
dirty water flows through storm drains, so it's called storm water pollution.
See if you know some of these other important storm water words:
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C |
atch basins |
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Catch basins are the openings in the gutter at the corner of the street. They catch water as it runs down the gutter, so they're called catch basins. Once something is swept, blown or washed into a catch basin, it goes directly to the river. That's why catch basins are for water only. Not trash. |
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R |
unoff |
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When it rains, or when people use their sprinklers on their lawn or a hose to wash their car, the water runs down the gutter and into catch basins. This runoff mixes with garbage, motor oil and other nasty stuff in the street and flows out into the river. |
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torm Drains |
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Storm drains are the concrete openings or metal pipes you see that have water flowing from them into the river or stream. If you see a large pool of water near a storm drain, stay away. It is polluted and could make you sick. Never play in the water flowing from a storm drain. |
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ontamination |
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When the beach is closed because it isn't safe to swim in the ocean, it happens because of contamination. Contamination means something has polluted the water and made it unhealthy for swimming and sea creatures. |
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atershed |
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It's not a building. It's a place. We all live in a watershed, a large area, even bigger than a city, where water drains through the streets, river beds and mountains down to the beach. Understanding how watersheds work helps us understand how to keep our rivers, lakes and the ocean clean. |
