Clean water is everybody’s business! There are easy and inexpensive ways for businesses to do their part in protecting our waterways from runoff. Stormwater runoff can carry chemicals, metals, bacteria, viruses, organic compounds, and other pollutants directly into creeks, lakes, rivers, and streams. Stormwater runoff can also cause severe erosion and flooding – even during a typical Pennsylvania storm.
Through Clean Water Partners, local business owners learn inexpensive ways to reduce flooding and water pollution on their commercial properties. Earlier this month, representatives from local businesses, the Sustainable Business Network, William Penn Foundation, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and attended a Clean Water Partners information session at Glenside Memorial Hall.
Funded through the Environmental Education Grants Program of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, this presentation and publication were developed by the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, Cheltenham Township, and the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership (TTF).
The business community is a critical stakeholder when it comes to managing stormwater in our watershed. Local businesses – both large and small – can help to reduce water pollution and flooding as part of our watershed-wide effort. Water pollution reduction measures include using dry methods of cleaning and proper waste disposal. Flooding reduction measures include using “green infrastructure” such as rain gardens and swales to capture and slow water down, as well as rain barrels to contain water until after a storm event.
The Clean Water Partners presentation was followed by a Q & A period with presenter, Dottie Baumgarten of Sustainable Choices and Julie Slavet, Executive Director of TTF. Attendees networked and shared both interests in and concerns about stormwater management and permitting issues.
We appreciate that these local businesses took the time to come out and show that stormwater, water pollution, and flooding are important to them.
Interested in hosting a Clean Water Partners presentation at your business or organization? Contact us to schedule a time. Attendees will receive this Clean Water Partners decal to display at their place of business.
For a link to the Clean Water Partners publication or the printed version, contact Brynn at brynn@ttfwatershed.org.
