Let Charger help you reduce storm water pollution !

"They tore down paradise and put up a parking lot" Remember the words of that song? It doesn’t have to be that way! With Pervious Concrete and the right site design a parking lot can be environmentally friendly. But that is seldom the case. Between roofs, driveways, streets and parking lots, 25% to 60% or more of the building site does not absorb rain water, but turns it into storm water run-off. Through catch basins storm water gets carried to streams, rivers, estuaries, the Intracoastal Waterway, the Gulf or the Oceans. Many scientists claim that 40% of the lakes and 30% of the streams in this country remain polluted

Not only does this deprive the aquifer of needed recharging, but it carries all manner of pollutants. These include rubber particles from tires, soot, oil and grease as well as metal particles from engine wear. Storm water is sometimes more toxic than sewerage water.

And it raises the temperatures of the bodies of water that receive it. But it also causes erosion to stream banks as seen in the picture below, and deposits polluted sediment where it becomes a further problem.

This picture shows polluted sediment carried through storm sewers discharged into the head of a canal used for boating, fishing and swimming

Because asphalt is so widely used it creates a heat island as its black or grey surface absorbs sunlight. In summer its temperature may climb to 140 F or more. That heat requires more air conditioning thus requiring more electricity. Not only does this waste money, but in making electricity, power plants create more greenhouse gasses.

.

This picture shows silt deposited in canal, denying access to docks.  
Damage was caused by storm erosion up stream.

When afternoon showers hit the hot pavement, water temperatures are heated increasing evaporation and dissolving oil, grease and other volatiles from the surface of the pavement. There harmful pollutants are carried into the storm water system, thus damaging the ecology down stream.

Impervious pavements such as asphalt reduce the number of trees that can grow in a city or on a building site. Trees adjacent to pavement do not get the water they need. What water they do get is often polluted, and places the trees under stress.

Avoid these problems with Pervious Concrete.  Learn how rainwater run-off and parking lot pollutants can be dramatically reduced. If the rainfall is less than 1" the pavement sub base can work like a retention pond, storing all the rain that lands on it. And depending on how the base soils percolates, water from surrounding land and other non-pervious surfaces may be accommodated as well. It just takes some small adjustments to engineering, site grading and preparation and the use of properly installed pervious concrete. Thus the ground can store more storm water, and it reduces the heat island problem. It also allows water to reach tree roots. Trees help reduce the heat island effect.  It’s easy with a professional team effort, including engineering, the right materials and equipment. Let us help you put the team together.