City Continues Water Resource Protection Education Efforts
January 17, 2014
EDINBURG, Texas As part of regular efforts to protect one of our most valuable resources, City of Edinburg officials spent time with local students Friday to educate them about how stormwater contamination impacts the water we all use.
City of Edinburg Director of Public Works and Engineering Ponciano Longoria explained the serious consequences of failing to do your own part in keeping stormwater clean. He gave an interactive presentation before several Economedes High School classes showing how water drains to the Laguna Madre, an important and unique ecosystem by South Padre Island.
Longoria said polluted stormwater contaminates the water system it drains into; causes water shortages and leads to flooding because it clogs drainage systems, especially if illegal dumping is involved.
The only thing that can go into a storm drain is stormwater and stormwater is water that comes from the sky. Nothing else, Longoria said.
He explained keeping our streets clean is important because the majority of rainwater in urban areas becomes runoff that travels untreated into storm drainage systems that lead to the Laguna Madre. This happens because most surfaces in urban areas such as concrete, pavement, sidewalks and buildings are impervious, meaning they don't absorb water like the ground does.
The City of Edinburg is a member of the Lower Rio Grande Valley Stormwater Task Force, along with more than a dozen other municipalities in the region.
Tips to avoid polluting stormwater include picking up pet waste, properly disposing of grass clippings or leaves in the trash or by composting and never dumping your car's oil on the ground or in the storm drain.
Because of the lifecycle of water, the golden rule is: If you wouldn't want to drink it or swim in it, don't let it go down the storm drain.
Longoria helped students understand the area's waterways, including the two major ones, the Rio Grande and Arroyo Colorado, all lead to the Laguna Madre, one of only six hypersaline lagoons in the world and the only one in the U.S. It is a diverse wildlife habitat and one of the foremost recreation destinations in the country.
The Rio Grande, some 1,800 miles in length, has many wildlife species. Some of these are only found in the Rio Grande Valley. The Rio Grande is on the WWF list of the 10 Rivers Most at Risk.
Some students expressed concern about swimming at South Padre Island after learning about pollution, but Longoria said there's still time to prevent further damage.
It all begins with us,he said. We have to take care of each other.
To help, follow the Dirty Dozen tips pictured with this story and report illegal dumping. Don't take it upon yourself to stop an illegal dumper. Write down their license plate number if possible and call the police department immediately. Violators face citations, fines and, in some cases, jail time. Call the City's Stormwater Specialist at (956) 388-8211 or (956) 388-8999 to investigate the dump site.
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