The quality of stormwater management issues are an environmental concern of Federal, state and local governments. Test your knowledge of how stormwater issues affects our Town by taking this simple stormwater quiz.
Question: True or False: Stormwater is rain water or snowmelt that runs off surfaces such as rooftops, lawns, paved streets, graveled roads, driveways, and parking lots.
Answer: True. Some stormwater can be absorbed directly into the ground. But if there is a significant amount of paved surface in an area, the stormwater runoff can't be absorbed and instead runs above ground until it discharges directly into a storm drain or flows into a body of water.
Question: True or False: Because it's just rainwater or snowmelt, it's impossible for stormwater to be unclean.
Answer: False. Stormwater quality can be harmed when runoff comes in contact with ground-level contaminants such as oil, fertilizer and pesticide residue, and pet waste. Closer managing of stormwater runoff helps to reduce contaminant pollution which can make waterways unhealthy for people and fish.
Question: True of False: Catch basins are curbside openings that collect rainwater from streets.
Answer: True. Catch basins serve as entry points to the storm drain system. They are a familiar site on most Milton streets and are part of a network of underground pipes that eventually discharge directly into the Town's streams, creeks, and rivers.
Question: What is a watershed? (Please choose only one answer): 1) an historic event; 2) the Town water tank; 3) a private well; 4) an area of land that helps drains stormwater runoff to a central point.
Answer: If you chose #4, you're right. Milton, for instance, is part of the Neponset River Watershed; all stormwater runoff in Town eventually its way into the Neponset River, the largest waterbody in our Town. The Neponset River, in turn, flows into Dorchester Bay which then flows into Boston Harbor. So the Neponset River Watershed is itself part of the larger Boston Harbor Watershed, along with the watersheds from the Mystic, Charles, and Weymouth-Weir Rivers. You may have noticed signs in and around Milton that say "The Neponset River Watershed: Communities Connected by Water." Even though each watershed is a well-defined ecosystem, things that happen on the land and waterways of one
town also affect the land and waterways of every other town. By working together, communities can protect their fragile watersheds for future generations.
Question: Can you guess how many miles of stormwater drainage pipe the Town maintains? Is it: 1) 11 miles; 2) 45 miles; 3) 75 miles; or 4) 106 miles.
Answer: The right answer is 75 miles. That's nearly 400,000 feet of underground drainage pipe the DPW must try and keep clean and free from debris!
Check back soon for more questions!
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