Permeable Pavement Allows Clean Runoff Into Local Water Ways

By Author: Charles Maverick
Total Articles: 45
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When we think about permeable pavement, we think about something that allows flow through. That is exactly what permeable pavement is. It is a natural stone pavement that allows water to flow through the permeable surface of the pavement and drain into a bedding of either sand of tiny gravel. This filters out pollutants and contaminants then allows clean water to drain into local water ways. This cleans the water for the wildlife, rivers and oceans.

There is no better way to clean the water that supplies our local, natural resources of water than with permeable surface pavement. Permeable pavement is a natural stone panel of pavement that is laid in place of storm drainage systems on city streets, sidewalks, parking lots and many other areas in which concrete would normally be laid. Its permeable surface stops standing water from building up in the areas that would normally flood, making driving dangerous. It allows the rain waters to be filtered through its permeable surface and then the underlying bedding to reduce pollutants and contaminants that run off of city streets and parking lots and into our streams and rivers.

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... idea of this type of water filtering system is to replenish our water ways with fresh, clean water that is void of pollution and any contaminating particles. The permeable pavement is recognized by the EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, for its design and efforts in cleaning up the environment. Permeable pavement systems are becoming well known across the world with more and more cities utilizing its effective method of filtering. Not only does the permeable surface help reduce the pollutants and contaminants for local water ways, but it also helps reduce the processing of city water supplies.

Your city water is generally collected from area drainage systems and goes through a long process of being filtered numerous times, has chemicals added to kill bacteria and filtered again before it can be sent back through the city system to the city's residents. The permeable surface to this system allows the water to be filtered in such a way that it reduces the processing time and cost of city water reclamation.

Replenishing our natural water ways with fresh, clean water that has ran off of city streets, sidewalks and parking lots will, in the long term, help reduce the pollutants that are carried into the oceans. This will help preserve our natural wildlife that feeds in the streams, rivers and oceans of the world thereby increasing the wildlife population. Permeable pavement is one answer to cleaning up our planet.