City of Largo, Florida

Storm Season is Here, Get Ready for Stormwater!

Have you ever driven through an intersection on a rainy day and wondered why there was so much standing water? With hurricane season approaching and tropical storms on their way, the season is a good excuse to educate yourself more about how stormwater runoff works and ways you can prevent pollutants from entering Largo's water systems. Water from rain flows over the ground and impervious surfaces such as driveways, sidewalks, and streets prevent the water from naturally soaking into the ground, creating stormwater runoff. The stormwater runoff can often times pick up unwanted pollutants that flow directly into lakes, streams, rivers or wetlands and the untreated water can negatively impact the waterways that we use for swimming, fishing and providing drinking water.

The of Largo's Engineering Services Division in the Community Development Department is responsible for helping monitor Largo's ecosystem and maintaining the systems involved. Stormwater runoff is the most common cause of water pollution and because it is caused by so many different activities, traditional regulatory controls will only go so far. The City of Largo considers outreach and education as an essential component to a successful stormwater program. The City's Stormwater Administrator, Sean Van DerGracht, is available to speak to groups of all sizes about preventing stormwater pollution. If you have a science class, homeowner's association, neighborhood group, or another organization, make an appointment to learn more about Largo's water system. Contact Sean at 727-587-6713, x 4419 or via e-mail at svanderg@largo.com or visit the Engineering Services Division Stormwater page here.

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