Stormwater
"Water is the most critical resource issue of our lifetime and our children's lifetime. The health of our waters is the principal measure of how we live on the land" - Luna Leopold
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Why Stormwater control Matters
Rainwater can pick up debris, chemicals, bacteria, soil, trash, and other pollution and wash it all into our creeks, Lake Vermilion, or the Vermilion River. This is called “stormwater runoff”. This water DOES NOT get treated at a water treatment plant before it goes into the waterways. Stormwater runoff is one of the single largest causes of water pollution in the US.
Additionally, too much rainwater flowing too fast can cause flooding and erosion. Rainwater collects quickly when it lands on hard surfaces like asphalt or concrete, rather than on softer surfaces like grass, trees, or gardens. Having properly sized pipes also reduces flooding by allowing water to flow away from homes and roadways. Controlling stormwater to help prevent flooding and other issues is called “stormwater management”.
Additionally, too much rainwater flowing too fast can cause flooding and erosion. Rainwater collects quickly when it lands on hard surfaces like asphalt or concrete, rather than on softer surfaces like grass, trees, or gardens. Having properly sized pipes also reduces flooding by allowing water to flow away from homes and roadways. Controlling stormwater to help prevent flooding and other issues is called “stormwater management”.
Stormwater and the City of Danville
The City of Danville adopted a revised stormwater management ordinance in 2017 (the previous one was enacted in 1993) which requires that anyone building or disturbing more than 5000 sf of ground must make a plan to control stormwater to reduce flooding and erosion and/or control stormwater to remove pollution. Using things like raingardens (think of a garden shaped like a bowl to collect and filter the rainwater), permeable pavement (concrete or asphalt that lets water flow through it and into the ground), or even green roofs (roofs with plants and soil on them used to catch rainwater), developed sites will all do their part to reduce flooding and pollution. Using properly sized pipe systems and traditional stormwater ponds (you can see these all over town), also helps reduce flooding and erosion, and is especially necessary for larger development projects. Stormwater management helps protect nature and provide us with cleaner drinking water, since Danville’s drinking water comes from Lake Vermilion.
The City of Danville also adopted a new erosion control ordinance in 2017. Soil escaping from construction sites can be a major cause of pollution. So much so that the state stormwater permit that Danville must adhere to requires the City to have an erosion control ordinance. The new ordinance helps ensure that developers and contractors are responsible for pollution control on their development sites. Anyone building or disturbing more than 2000 sf of ground must make a plan to control the sediment and erosion on the construction site. Properly designed, installed, and maintained erosion control methods (like silt fence, straw matting, and rock drive aisles), help stop mud from getting into the streets and then washing downstream. This prevents waterways like Lake Vermilion and the Vermilion River from becoming muddy and murky.
Stormwater runoff can cause an array of problems. Runoff carries pollutants into the water, including nitrogen and phosphorus. These chemicals can cause algae to grow uncontrolled. As the algae later dies off, the plants naturally use up the oxygen in the water. Additionally, muddy water blocks light, causing plant life to die. Again, the plants use up oxygen as they die. The loss of oxygen in the water causes fish and other animals to suffocate. There is actually a “dead zone” the size of New Jersey in the Gulf of Mexico (where all the rainwater in Illinois and the Midwest eventually flows) where the oxygen levels are too low for normal aquatic life to live. Even before the fish die, muddy waters full of algae are not enjoyable for recreational activities. No one wants to swim or go fishing in water that is dirty and full of algae, and may also stink due to the algae and/or fish starting to die. Plus, as the sediment slowly settles out, it can affect creek and river channels and disturb habitats, like covering up spawning areas, or completely burying some animals at the bottom of lakes and/or rivers. After fish and plants begin to die, other animals will leave to find food elsewhere. This can cause a slow decay of wildlife presence. And can ruin the long-term health, beauty, and enjoyment of our natural areas.
Enacting the stormwater and erosion control ordinances, Danville aims to prevent the problems of polluted runoff before they even begin. By coming together, everyone in Danville can do their part to ensure clean water and pollution control are a priority today for a cleaner tomorrow.
For more information on the City of Danville’s stormwater management program, the City’s stormwater permit (called the NPDES permit), ways Danville is trying to prevent pollution, and for ideas on ways YOU can help prevent pollution, please browse through the tabs on this website. We hope this information is helpful for everyone!
The City of Danville also adopted a new erosion control ordinance in 2017. Soil escaping from construction sites can be a major cause of pollution. So much so that the state stormwater permit that Danville must adhere to requires the City to have an erosion control ordinance. The new ordinance helps ensure that developers and contractors are responsible for pollution control on their development sites. Anyone building or disturbing more than 2000 sf of ground must make a plan to control the sediment and erosion on the construction site. Properly designed, installed, and maintained erosion control methods (like silt fence, straw matting, and rock drive aisles), help stop mud from getting into the streets and then washing downstream. This prevents waterways like Lake Vermilion and the Vermilion River from becoming muddy and murky.
Stormwater runoff can cause an array of problems. Runoff carries pollutants into the water, including nitrogen and phosphorus. These chemicals can cause algae to grow uncontrolled. As the algae later dies off, the plants naturally use up the oxygen in the water. Additionally, muddy water blocks light, causing plant life to die. Again, the plants use up oxygen as they die. The loss of oxygen in the water causes fish and other animals to suffocate. There is actually a “dead zone” the size of New Jersey in the Gulf of Mexico (where all the rainwater in Illinois and the Midwest eventually flows) where the oxygen levels are too low for normal aquatic life to live. Even before the fish die, muddy waters full of algae are not enjoyable for recreational activities. No one wants to swim or go fishing in water that is dirty and full of algae, and may also stink due to the algae and/or fish starting to die. Plus, as the sediment slowly settles out, it can affect creek and river channels and disturb habitats, like covering up spawning areas, or completely burying some animals at the bottom of lakes and/or rivers. After fish and plants begin to die, other animals will leave to find food elsewhere. This can cause a slow decay of wildlife presence. And can ruin the long-term health, beauty, and enjoyment of our natural areas.
Enacting the stormwater and erosion control ordinances, Danville aims to prevent the problems of polluted runoff before they even begin. By coming together, everyone in Danville can do their part to ensure clean water and pollution control are a priority today for a cleaner tomorrow.
For more information on the City of Danville’s stormwater management program, the City’s stormwater permit (called the NPDES permit), ways Danville is trying to prevent pollution, and for ideas on ways YOU can help prevent pollution, please browse through the tabs on this website. We hope this information is helpful for everyone!
Contacts
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Eric Childers
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Stormwater Engineer
Engineer III
Assistant City Engineer
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(217)431-3441
(217)431-2385
(217)431-2259
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Emails can be sent to stormwater@cityofdanville.org - We are located at 1155 E Voorhees St. Danville, IL 61832
