Text Box: A report on pollution in the Potomac River as urban runoff threatens the source of the area’s drinking water was released last month by the Potomac Conservancy. It targets pollution draining from city pavements, roofs, and lawns. Since 1993, the Potomac Conservancy has engaged in protecting the health, beauty, and enjoyment of the Potomac River and its tributaries. The report says declining water quality threatens the health of the waters from which 86 percent of the region's residents get their drinking water. The Conservancy discusses the consequences of paving over land as a result of development in our region in its second annual "State of the Nation’s River" report. The group released a new survey in conjunction with the report, showing that only 38 percent of local residents can correctly identified one of the major threats to water quality and the health of the river system as "runoff from city streets and rooftops" — untreated hot, dirty storm water that quickly pours off the area's pavement and runs off hard-packed lawns. On the other hand, 60 percent of people thought "industrial waste," which actually is a minor threat. The public is acutely aware of one issue: 71 percent realize that during heavy rains, untreated sewage sent directly into the river was the major culprit. Those polled overwhelmingly consider this upsetting and unacceptable, but few know what should be done about it, the survey found. In the coming year, the Conservancy calls for the following actions: Virginia Governor Tim Kaine and the state’s Soil and Water Conservation Board should approve proposed new storm water regulations. The next U.S. EPA Administrator and the states should require that all new or re-issued MS4 storm water permits be at least as strong, and preferably stronger, than the new Montgomery County, Md., and Washington, D.C., permits. Text Box: POTOMAC CONSERVANCY REPORTS DECLINING STATE OF POTOMAC RIVER Text Box: Grantmakers should fund training city and county workers and managers in the construction and engineering practices needed to protect the watershed through low-impact development. In addition to the sources of pollution, the report also outlines critical steps to improve the Potomac’s water quality, including the use of “low-impact development” practices. Corrective actions like rain gardens, green roofs, and porous pavements are being implemented in communities nationwide, including the District of Columbia. The health of the Potomac River also affects waterways and communities downstream, including the Chesapeake Bay. "If we have any hope of cleaning up our rivers and the Bay, we must tackle the fastest growing major source of pollution we face: storm water run-off,” say Dr. Margaret Palmer, Director of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s Chesapeake Biological Laboratory. Making low-impact development a common practice will help reverse the downward trend of water quality in the Potomac River. "Storm water management is one of the most important pieces of urban environmental protection,” said George Hawkins, Director of the District Department of the Environment. “Nature absorbs a lot of storm water, which is why you can walk through a forest in a rain storm and barely get wet. So the next frontier is bringing nature back into urban areas. Doing so will also create hundreds of green-collar jobs, which will help residents improve their neighborhoods and build a better future.”