Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘stormwater’ Category

Septic System Maintenance

Posted in Bay-friendly, Galveston Bay, runoff pollution, stormwater on July 21, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Last month I shared about the connection between septic systems and degraded water quality.  I wanted to follow up with some simple this you should and should not do to keep your septic system in good working order.

Roll

Do!

  • Have your septic tank pumped every 3-5 years
  • Keep a map of where you septic system is located
  • Divert roof drains and surface runoff away from your septic system, excess water can overwhelm your system and cause backups into your home
  •  Use your garbage disposal sparingly, excess solids sit in your tank an increase the frequency of pumping

(more…)

Read Full Post »

Roads and lily pads: there’s a link?

Posted in stormwater, stormwater wetlands, tagged , , , , , on June 20, 2013| 1 Comment »

Water lilies in the Mason Park wetlands (Photo: Milt Gray), public bikes (Wikimedia Commons)

Water lilies in the Mason Park wetlands (Photo: Milt Gray), public bikes (Wikimedia Commons)

Once in a while, a newspaper article about pedestrian bridges makes a brush with stormwater management. Sounds pretty random, right?

This recent one in the Houston Chronicle doesn’t spell out the connections between transportation planning and managing stormwater, but we know that vehicles are a source of pollutants which wash off roads into storm drains. (more…)

Read Full Post »

Septic Systems and Water Quality – What’s the Connection?

Posted in Galveston Bay, runoff pollution, stormwater, tagged , , , , on June 17, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Dickinson Bayou, like many of our coastal streams and bayous, is listed as impaired by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for having high levels of bacteria.  This short video is about the issues facing Dickinson Bayou, especially from malfunctioning septic systems, but really the story is the same for many other water bodies.

Read Full Post »

Coming soon to a bayou by you

Posted in stormwater, Walkability, tagged , , , on February 25, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Many park destinations are along Houston’s bayous, but often you can’t follow the waterway from one destination to the next. That’s a limitation when you want to travel through the park–walking the dog, running, or biking–as opposed to settling in for a picnic or sunbath.  Happily, the Bayou Greenways 2020 program will fill the missing links between public green spaces with a continuous trail system along the major bayous. (more…)

Read Full Post »

Rain Garden Research Round Up

Posted in rain garden, runoff pollution, stormwater on January 24, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Lisa Stiffler compiles a long list of rain garden studies in a recent blog post and explains in plain English the benefits of a rain garden in removing pollutants from stormwater runoff.  Check out “Are Rain Gardens Mini Toxic Cleanup Sites” for a great overview of rain garden research.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »