Scituate Reservoir Watershed Education Program -- Storm Water

LandWaterConnection.org - Scituate Reservoir Watershed Education Program

WHAT IS STORMWATER POLLUTION?

Stormwater Pollution is the collection of contaminants on the ground washing away with rain and other precipitation into storm drains (that lead to surface water) or directly into surface or ground water resources. Road salts, pesticides, fertilizers, animal and human waste, oil and other automotive fluids and soil erosion are often carried in stormwater.

In 2006, the Scituate Reservoir Watershed Education Program began launching a program to educate residents and take steps to reduce the impact of stormwater on the Scituate Reservoir.

WHAT ARE WE DOING?

Stormwater Project: In 2006 we began an outreach project in the Village of North Scituate, with the cooperation of several businesses in the Village of North Scituate. This project site was chosen based on a report prepared by Northern Rhode Island Conservation District (NRICD) in September of 2001 entitled, stormwater Management Program: Establishing Priorities for Retrofitting in North Scituate Village and Contributing Watersheds. Using the information from this report, a location was chosen to target a stormwater outfall for remediation. The site targeted is numbered 306 in the report and is located on the South East corner of Hartford and Greenville Pikes. The stormwater is channeled to Regulating Reservoir, a high priority for protection.

The USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service agreed to survey the area and to develop plans for treatment of the stormwater from this outfall. The project has been completed. It was installed in October of 2008. Below are pictures of the storm drain before and after the installation.

Nine businesses and residents were contacted and offered an opportunity to participate in an outreach program designed to educate the North Scituate Community about the threats of untreated stormwater to water quality and about ways they can contribute to decreasing the levels of contaminates in stormwater. Six businesses agreed to participate.

One home owner declined participation for now and one business, Winfield Funeral Home, declined participation at this time, but agreed to contact us at a more convenient time for them.

The six businesses that did agree to participate include:

Sugrue Engineering

Northland Seamless Gutters

Scituate Animal Hospital (Dr. Sharon O'Neil, DVM)

Famous Pizza

Famous Ice Cream

Bentley's Tavern
(three restaurants owned by Rick Lang)

Famous, Inc. allowed us to install a demonstration rain garden on their property, adjacent to Bentley's Tavern. The public is invited to stop by to view the garden.

Sugrue Engineering agreed to implement Healthy Landscape Practices on their lawn for demonstration to the community. Northland Seamless Gutters agreed to display rain barrels for water conservation on their property and to provide customers with information on rain barrels and rain gardens. Sharon O'Neil, Veterinarian, agreed to display a poop scooping station for pets and to distribute literature on the importance of pet waste clean up and well water testing for protection of health in human and pet populations (well testing display materials were provided by URI Cooperative Extension Home*a*Syst Program).

All three participating restaurants -- Famous Pizza, Famous Ice Cream, and Bentley's Tavern -- will be distribution locations for literature on nonpoint source pollution reduction including: automobile fluids, pet waste, pesticides and fertilizers, car wash contributions. The restaurants will also distribute information on well water testing and rain gardens. Famous Ice Cream is going to install a poop scooping station for customers to use.

NRICD developed a Rain Garden brochure that was used for distribution by business participants. Rain gardens are bowl shaped depressions on the surface of the ground with a grass swale leading to them. They are used to treat parking lot run off among other types of stormwater runoff. Native plant species are used in the gardens. Copies of the brochure are available upon request.

A steering committee was formed for advice on this project and met several times throughout the year. The committee consisted of representatives from USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Providence Water, URI Cooperative Extension, Northern Rhode Island Conservation District and Scituate Conservation Commission. With advice from this committee, signs were designed and posted on the sites of participating businesses.

Four wells service the six businesses that agreed to participate and in partnership with Providence Water. NRICD sampled each well for a physical and organic characteristics, including coliform bacteria, metals, volatile organic compounds and radon. Each well owner was provided a report of test results, which all proved to be favorable.

A community workshop was held at the North Scituate Community House to share the highlights of this project with the community on March 14, 2006. A survey and evaluation form was completed by participants and in it they indicated willingness to exchange their current practices for more watershed friendly practices. Ten residents attended this workshop.

Next year we plan to install all the practices listed above, as well as apply for and obtain funds to install the stormwater outfall treatment on the SE corner of Hartford and Greenville Pikes in partnership with Providence Water, Scituate Conservation Commission and USDA, Natural Resources Service. We plan to hold workshops on Healthy Landscaping (a University of RI Home*a*Syst program designed to reduce lawn and garden contributions to water quality issues) along with a tour of the focus area including the participating businesses.

HOW TO HELP

Installing a Rain Garden is one way form residents to reduce the impact of stormwater runoff. For complete directions on how to develop your own rain garden, see our Rain Gardens: A How-to-Manual.

Several businesses have agreed to work with the Scituate Reservoir Watershed Education Program to implement stormwater reduction practices on the corner of Routes 116 and 6 in North Scituate. They include: Famous Pizza, Bentley's Tavern, Famous Ice Cream, Sugrue Engineering, Northland Gutters, and Dr. O'Neil (veterinarian). Please check our website in the future for more on the details of participation from these businesses.