Whether it is runoff loaded with sediment streaming from construction sites or the polluted water that flows from industrial lots and city streets into urban storm drains, uncontrolled storm water has a devastating effect on water quality across the United States and poses a serious threat to the Great Lakes region. Storm water damages ecosystems, wildlife, and aquatic habitats by washing bacteria, sediment, heavy metals, oil and grease, and debris into waterways, and also by compounding the effects of erosion and flooding.
