The University of Maryland is getting a federal grant to help communities reduce stormwater runoff, the fastest growing Chesapeake Bay pollution source.
Sen. Ben Cardin says Environmental Protection Agency officials will announce the nearly $700,000 grant Monday in Bladensburg.
Stormwater running off roads, roofs, lawns and other areas carries fertilizer, animal waste, auto and power plant emissions and other pollutants into waterways. Once in the water, the pollutants promote algae blooms that harm water quality. Methods to reduce runoff include limiting paved surfaces that prevent rain from seeping into the ground, where pollutants are filtered by the soil and broken down.
Cardin's office says the university will work with Howard County officials to cut runoff in the Wilde Lake watershed and the District of Columbia on the Watts Branch watershed.
