by Shane Henson — August 5, 2013—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) debuted a new tool this month in its effort to combat climate change and promote better stormwater management: the National Stormwater Calculator.
The calculator is a desktop application that estimates the annual amount of rainwater and frequency of runoff from a specific site anywhere in the United States (including Puerto Rico). Estimates are based on local soil conditions, land cover, and historic rainfall records. The calculator is designed to help property owners, developers, landscapers, and urban planners make informed land-use decisions to protect local waterways from pollution caused by stormwater runoff.
According to the EPA, each year billions of gallons of raw sewage, trash, household chemicals, and urban runoff flow into the nation’s streams, rivers and lakes. Polluted stormwater runoff can adversely affect plants, animals, and people. It also adversely affects the nation’s economy—from closed beaches to decreased fishing and hunting in polluted areas. Preventing stormwater runoff protects people’s health and the environment, says the EPA.
