Why Does Storm Water Pollution Matter?

We each play an important role in keeping our storm water clean! Pollution can be carried into our local waterways by storm water runoff. The largest source of storm water pollution in Utah results from everyday activities. Like most communities in Cache Valley, Hyrum City's biggest concerns are:

• Sediment loads from disturbed/construction sites
• Fertilizers and pesticides from lawns and farmlands
• Oils and greese from the roadways
• Animal waste from dairies and livestock operations

Our Public Works Department tries its best to capture most of this trash and remove it but it would make things easier and less costly if we all worked together by remembering that "Only Rain Goes Down the Drain". These pollutants can cloud the water making it difficult for aquatic life and plants to grow.  Land animals and people can also get sick from eating contaminated fish or drinking polluted water.  Also, pollutants cause flooding issues as they clog the storm drain system and increase maintenance costs. 

The majority of Hyrum City's stormwater goes into sumps or borrow pits where the water infiltrates. Drainages for the remaining areas generally flow to the north and end upin Blacksmith Fork, Hyrum Canal or Hyrum Slough which feed into Cutler Reservoir. The west side of Hyrum City drains to the Wellsville Canal which also feeds into the Cutler Reservoir.  The consequences of pollution in the creeks, canals, and lakes is reduced fisheries, habitat disruption, and restrictions on recreation such as boating and swimming.
 
Hyrum City does NOT have a mechanism for treating stormwater runoff. Anything poured into a gutter or drain, such as used motor oil or antifreeze, flows directly into the creeks and canals. When it rains, oil, antifreeze, detergents, pesticides, yard clippings, dirt and other pollutants get washed from driveways, backyards, parking lots, and streets into storm drains and then directly to Cutler Reservoir. It is not reasonable for Hyrum City to construct a treatment facility for stormwater because of the massive amount of water that passes through the system during a large storm event. Such a facility would be extremely costly to build and maintain, especially since it would sit idle a majority of the time.