A 1-inch rainstorm on a 1-acre natural meadow would typically produce enough runoff to fill a standard office 2 feet deep. That storm over a 1-acre paved lot would produce nearly 16 times more runoff-enough to fill 3 offices completely.

Increased volume and velocity of stormwater and pollutants in urban runoff can result in: decrease in habitat and aquatic biological diversity, increased flooding, increased erosion, and affects on our health, economy, and livelihood.

Roads, freeways, sidewalks, buildings, parking lots, airports, industrial sites and other man-made surfaces create urban runoff.

The stormwater problem has two main components: the increased volume and velocity of surface runoff and the concentration of pollutants in it. Both are directly related to development in urban and urbanizing areas.

Harmful pesticides found in urban runoff, such as chloropyrifos, 2,4-D, and diazinon come from golf courses, municipal parks, highway medians and roadsides, and residential lawns and gardens.

The percentage of pesticide lost in runoff can be large; one study found up to 90 percent of the herbicide 2,4-D was lost in runoff after being applied a few hours before a storm event.

The urban runoff discharge from one square mile of roads and parking lots can yield approximately 20,000 gallons of residual oil per year.

A quart of oil can contaminate 250,000 gallons of water.

A pint of oil can make an acre-sized oil slick.

Studies indicate that poorly managed construction sites can release 7 - 1,000 tons of sediment/acre a year, compared to 1 ton or less from undeveloped lands. This increase can cause water quality problems.