All roads lead to Lake Erie

All roads lead to Lake Erie. Yes, you read that right: All roads lead to Lake Erie. Those storm drains that line our streets; collect the water that runs off hard surfaces during rain events; and carry that water, along with any pollutants in its path, lead directly to our great lake. It is important to understand that everyone has a role to play when it comes to conserving our natural resources, with Lake Erie being a major player in our coastal community. My name is Valerie, and my job at the Erie Soil & Water Conservation District is to ensure that the communities that make up Erie County are understanding and are following the requirements set forth by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. This includes educating the public on relevant stormwater issues, providing guidance to local community leaders and policymakers, overseeing new and redevelopment projects and everything in between. One major component of my position includes investigating and enforcing illicit discharges that occur within Erie County. An illicit discharge is defined as any discharge to the storm system that is not entirely comprised of stormwater. This could be as simple as sweeping your grass clippings into a nearby storm drain or as obvious as dumping leftover paint into a ditch. This summer, we've been seeing an increase in the amount of concrete washwater that is being dumped into storm drains and even into Lake Erie itself. Larger and commercial construction sites are closely monitored through the state EPA requirements, but the smaller, residential jobs are not able to be regulated as easily. After concrete is poured at a construction site, the chutes of ready-mixed concrete trucks, hoppers of the pump trucks, wheelbarrows and hand tools must be washed out to remove the remaining concrete before it hardens. This results in a slurry of water and concrete, which contains toxic metals and has a pH near 12, which is incredibly caustic and corrosive (For example, normal freshwater ranges in pH from 6.5 to 9). If this washwater is dumped on the ground, it can enter nearby storm drains, rivers and even percolate into the groundwater. Once it reaches the lake, it is incredibly harmful to fish and other wildlife. Proper washout procedure is to capture both the washwater and the solids, let the mix dry and then take it to the proper disposal facilities. There are various portable washout containers that are designed to capture washwater, and it is important to ask what a company's washout plans are if you're hiring them for concrete work on your property. Similarly, if you see a cement truck washing out anywhere that is not a leak-proof washout pit, please call the Erie Conservation District at 419-626-5211.