The passing years have not been gentle with the American urban landscape, particularly to storm and hurricane-prone areas like the New Orleans. This is probably why most cities implement an effective stormwater management system to counteract the negative effects of storm water run offs to prevent floods and soil erosion.
The Risk of Flooding and Landslides
Very much unlike agricultural land, the paved streets of urban areas have little to no permeable surface that storm run-off can seep through. Furthermore, the loss of trees and other types of vegetation can increase the chances for flooding and landslides to happen.
Storm water management reduces the impact of such calamities by creating a workable system of drainages, sewages, canals, culverts, and other structural urban features. Together with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), cities and municipalities are required to have a sustainable and effective stormwater management to reduce not only potentially massive infrastructure damages, but also to prevent the destruction of natural wildlife habitats such as the wetlands found in New Orleans.
The Clean Water Act
EPA’s expanded version of the 1987 Clean Water Act requires communities to obtain permits to discharge storm water runoffs, which in turn, forced municipalities and cities to require urban developers to fix a sustainable storm management system and procedure to reduce the water volume and eliminate pollutants from the runoff.
A stormwater management system can definitely save a city from potential structural and financial ruin if ever disaster strikes.
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