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Water QualityPrior to the urbanization of the Tampa area, a natural balance occurred in the amount of water and nutrients which were delivered to the Bay through stormwater runoff. As the City has grown, this balance has been shifted with an increase in runoff from impervious surfaces such as rooftops and streets and a greater concentration of human-derived pollutants. It is generally accepted that the amount of pollutants picked up in the stormwater draining through an urban area can have significant impacts on the water quality of surface waters such as the Hillsborough River and Tampa Bay. Pollutants of concern include nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorous), sediment, oil and grease, hazardous chemicals, bacteria from animal waste, and heavy metals such as mercury and lead. When these pollutants become more concentrated the water can be deprived of dissolved oxygen, become unsuitable for aquatic life, prone to an overgrowth of weeds and nuisance vegetation, or too cloudy to allow sunlight to penetrate the surface. The Stormwater Department attempts to incorporate water quality improvement elements into all of the Capital Improvement Projects which are planned for construction. Water quality improvement projects have included the installation of sediment traps, nutrient-separating baffle boxes, stormwater treatment ponds, biofilters, and ditch bottom sumps. The capital and maintenance costs of these projects is quite high, therefore, public education is also a key component of the Department's program to improve water quality. |
