FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 22, 2014
DEP
COMMITS $700,000 TO FORT LAUDERDALE FOR STORMWATER AND FLOOD CONTROL
~Project protects residents from flooding
and reduces pollutants reaching the Atlantic~
TALLAHASSEE – The
Florida Department of Environmental Protection has committed $700,000 to the city
of Fort Lauderdale for a project to enhance stormwater and flood control in the
Las Olas Isles, Venice Isle and Rio Vista neighborhoods.
The project includes
the installation of almost 50 tidal control valves, drainage improvements,
manatee grates and 48 pollution-control baffles. Baffles are a
stormwater-treatment technology that remove sediments, suspended particles and
associated pollutants from stormwater.
“To
protect our natural resources, every resident and every community must take responsibility
for their impact on the environment,” said DEP Secretary Herschel T. Vinyard
Jr. “Stormwater and flood control are two tools that allow municipalities to
improve water quality.”
Stormwater
runoff is water that flows into creeks, streams or rivers after rain.
Stormwater runoff usually contains a number of pollutants, including
fertilizers, pesticides, oil and grease. Once this runoff reaches a body of
water, the pollutants can cause rapid algal growth, algal blooms and other
complications. The stormwater in these
neighborhoods moves from the canals to the Atlantic Ocean.
Once runoff reaches
a body of water, the pollutants can contribute to rapid algal growth, algal
blooms and other complications. Filtration of the stormwater through pollution-control baffles reduces the amount of pollutants that reach the ocean. The
flood protection provided by the tidal control valves and drainage improvements
protects homes and residents and diminishes the opportunity for pollutants to
enter the canals during a flood event.
Florida
continues to lead the nation in taking innovative approaches to stormwater
management. Florida was not only one of the first states to implement a
statewide stormwater program, but also one of the first states to address both
agricultural and urban stormwater management through its water-quality
restoration program.
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