Reduce Stormwater Pollution by Reporting Construction Site Violations
Construction sites are one of the primary sources of sediment pollution in rivers. The removal of vegetation and disturbance of the ground during normal construction activities destabilizes the soil. When it rains or the snow melts, the soil is moved off the construction site with the flowing storm water and winds up in nearby waterways. The deposition of soil into water bodies is known as sedimentation. Sedimentation results in the loss of spawning habitat, smothers the gills of aquatic organisms, and is the leading cause of water impairment in Illinois.
All construction sites over 1 acre in size are required to have a storm water permit issued by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. As a condition of the permit, the developer must prevent storm water runoff by installing certain practices called best management practices (BMPs).
Best Management Practices Include:
- Silt fencing (to prevent soil from leaving the site)
- Gravel exits (to prevent soil from getting on public roads)
- Vegetation buffers along waterways (to slow the flow of storm water and protect rivers)
- Protection of storm drain inlets (to block soil from going down storm drains)
You can view descriptions and photographs of BMPs recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Unfortunately, many developers do not adequately install or maintain best management practices, and many construction sites are never visited by a government inspector. However, citizens can report storm water violations to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and ask that an inspection be done.
