Heavy rains throughout March have left Tidewater Virginia with yards, fields, and roads saturated with nowhere for the excess water to go. Our field right now is spongy underfoot with some boggy spots, although the water will seep into the ground after a few dry days. Jim and I are fortunate to have a field that slopes gently toward the creek for about two acres, but what happens to rainwater that runs directly onto a concrete driveway, walkway, or patio? Where will the water go that has sluiced down off a roof, into rain gutters, and onto a lawn? And, most importantly, what harmful chemicals and pollutants does that water carry?

Stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces carries oil, fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, heavy metals, and potentially harmful microorganisms. Storm drains that are located on commercial and residential streets frequently cannot handle excess runoff after heavy rains and back up, causing temporary street flooding and increased pollution of local waterw...