Stormwater 101 

Chelmsford Public Library

25 Boston Rd, Chelmsford, MA 01824

March 26^th, 7pm

*Open to the public*

“Rusty Russell will discuss the issue of stormwater pollution and what can be (and is being) done about it.  In the eyes of EPA, stormwater runoff is the primary water pollution problem in New England and is now subject to new federal permitting requirements, known as MS4.  The talk and accompanying slides will show how rainstorms and snowmelt cause runoff; rushing wa­ter picks up trash, fertilizer, oil, dirt and other pollutants as it flows across roads, down driveways, and through storm drains to outfalls that dump, without treatment, directly into the river.  A particular focus of the talk will be how “green infrastructure” – including rain gardens and vegetated swales – can address the problem.  These low-tech strategies can be implemented on individual lots, purifying polluted runoff while creating aesthetically lovely spaces.  The talk accompanies six information panels created by the Merrimack River Watershed Council in collaboration with a consortium of regional public libraries funded by federal grants.”