Nationwide Urban Runoff Program - Findings

Findings

Among the conclusions of the report are the following:

• "Heavy metals (especially copper, lead and zinc) are by far the most prevalent priority pollutant constituents found in urban runoff... Copper is suggested to be the most significant of the three."
• "Coliform bacteria are present at high levels in urban runoff."
• "Nutrients are generally present in urban runoff, but... concentrations do not appear to be high in comparison with other possible discharges."
• "Oxygen demanding substances are present in urban runoff at concentrations approximating those in secondary treatment plant discharges."
• "The physical aspects of urban runoff, e.g. erosion and scour, can be a significant cause of habitat disruption and can affect the type of fishery present."
• "Detention basins... recharge devices are capable of providing very effective removal of pollutants in urban runoff."
• "Wet basins (designs which maintain a permanent water pool) have the greatest performance capabilities."
• "Wetlands are considered to be a promising technique for control of urban runoff quality."

A very interesting finding of the NURP was that street sweeping was considered to be, "ineffective as a technique for improving the quality of urban runoff."

In 1987, the results of the report were used as the basis of an amendment to the Clean Water Act requiring local governments and industry to address the pollution sources indicated by the report.