Pollution Closes Record Number of US Beaches in 2008 - Blue Living Ideas

Pollution Closes Record Number of US Beaches in 2008

Posted on Aug 03, 2009 by Jennifer Lance.

The best way to escape the summer heat is to head to the beach; however, you may be putting your health at risk by swimming in polluted waters.  A record number of public beach closures prompted by water pollution occurred last year.  According to a Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC) report of US beaches, “pollution caused the number of beach closings and advisories to hit their fourth-highest level in the 19-year history of the report.”  Faulty stormwater and sewage systems are largely to blame for the water pollution closing 20,000 beaches.
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DIY: How to Disconnect Your Downspout to Protect Rivers

Posted on Jun 02, 2009 by Jennifer Lance.

Where do the downspouts off of your house’s gutters flow?  Do they enter into the city’s sewer system?  For many cities, this is a problem.  The city of Portland, Oregon explains:

A large part of Portland has a combined sewer system that carries sewage and stormwater runoff in the same pipes. When it rains, the combined sewers fill to capacity and some of the stormwater and sewage mixture overflows to the Willamette River.

Downspouts on many homes are connected directly the combined sewer system and roof runoff from those homes contributes to combined sewer overflows (CSOs). Disconnecting those downspouts reduces the amount of water entering the system and reduces CSOs.

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Conserving Stormwater: Use It or Lose It

Posted on Feb 23, 2009 by Sean Daily.

Water has always been a precious commodity, but the recent rise in frequent water shortages and droughts due to climate change emphasizes the importance of everyday water conservation. Despite the atmospheric consequences of global warming, rainstorms continue…so why let all that water go to waste?
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