Storm Drain Project

Purpose of a storm drain (drainage system): to remove excess rainwater from paved streets, parking lots, etc., to decrease the chance of flooding. 

Hopefully we all know the basics of surface runoff. Urban sprawl includes more buildings and roads, yes, but this includes more impervious surfaces (surface runoff can also occur in super-saturated soils). Here in Bloomington/Normal, Illinois most of the streams in and around the "twin cities" are lined. Having cement lined streams like Sugar Creek is nice in the sense that the nasty stuff we find dumped on the roadside and sidewalks that act as waste and potential water contaminants will less likely enter the groundwater...

The problem with this is that with impervious surfaces in town, eventually downstream will no longer have cement to act as a barrier. On its trip through town, the creek has collected nasty cigarette butts, oil leaks, discarded milk and other harmful trash. This waste water is then dumped out on the south end of town full of high loads of fertilizers, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, etc.

What prevents all of this concentrated nasty storm water from entering the unsaturated zone and therefore groundwater aquifers? 

This project is focusing on a relatively small study area around the Bone Student Center and Milner Library, the majority of the project is boxed in from the four streets surrounding the campus buildings (minus the church property). There are more than 100 storm drains located in this ~14 acre area and all of it ends up in Sugar Creek.

Bing Map of Bloomington/Normal, IL with the study site within the red box and the outsource of stormwater into Sugar Creek.

Tasks: Find the direction of stormwater flow into each storm drain and go out during or after a storm event to see which drains gain the majority of the surface runoff and take photos of any potentially hazardous sites where there is garbage or spills entering the drains.

September 4 2014 - Gasoline Leak

9.4.14 08:14 In Bone Parking Lot facing south toward the Bone Student Center - gasoline spill/leak

9.4.14 08:14 In Bone Parking Lot facing south toward the Bone Student Center - gasoline spill

9.4.14 08:15 In Bone Parking Lot facing south toward the Bone Student Center - gasoline leak

September 4, 2014 - Oil & Trash Leak

9.4.14 09.21 N of BONE Student Center facing west - Spill into drain (container is open at the top, precipitation will enter and wash through, picking up all nastiness inside)

9.4.14 09.22 N of BONE Student Center facing west - Source of spill

9.4.14 09.22 N of BONE Student Center facing west - Source of spill

9.4.14 09.22 N of BONE Student Center facing west - Source of spill

 September 4, 2014 - Spill & Trash

9.4.14 09.33 N Milner Library Loading Dock facing east - Spill and garbage 

9.4.14 09.33 N Milner Library Loading Dock facing north - Spill and garbage 

9.4.14 09.33 N Milner Library Loading Dock facing northeast - Covered containers, no evidence of spills 

9.4.14 09.33 N Milner Library Loading Dock facing north - Corrosive materials, what are these used for? 

Sugar Creek has minor water quality issues, but as you saw in the map, it goes right through town and collects all of our solid and liquid wastes. Eventually it will end up in our soil and percolate through the subsurface. Soils, as well as water bodies, can get contaminated and are actually harder to remediate. 

Further Research:

Combined Sewer Overflows
Many counties still have these older sewer drainage systems that no longer work because of increasing population, housing, and businesses all sharing a system meant for a much smaller dependence. http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/permits/cso.html 

Difference between Sanitary and Storm Sewers
http://www.grand-ledge.com/pdf/GLRC.Storm%20vs.%20sanitary%20sewer%20article.pdf


Extra research: I did a nitrate and phosphate study of Sugar Creek upstream and downstream of the Waste Water Reclamation Facility, WWRF (southwest of town, downstream of Sugar Creek). The levels directly downstream of the WWRF were many times higher than upstream and this was due to the effluent from the wastewater treatment plant not being completely chlorinated. Eventually all of these excessive nutrients will be diffused further downstream as more water is added and dilutes the high concentrations, but this stream is receiving a lot of chemical and biological waste. I believe the head of Sugar Creek starts within or near a golf course, which inevitably has too much nitrogen (nitrates, ammonia, etc. from fertilizer) as much that is added is not necessarily absorbed by the grass.