When raking fall leaves this season, Ohioans should be aware that leaves can cause water pollution if not managed properly. Ohio EPA recommends property owners consider the best way to manage them based on the types of leaf collection programs in the community.
In the fall, leaves become a common water contaminant in urban areas where concentrated populations overload nature's breakdown process. Excessive amounts of dried leaves can be a source of pollution if not managed properly because they contain significant amounts of soluble nutrients, including phosphorus.
When heavy loads of dried leaves wash into streams from storm drains and sewers, the nutrients can cause algae blooms that turn the water bright green and cut off oxygen. This often results in fish kills. A lack of oxygen causes the algae life to eventually die off, making the stream brown and smelly and damaging to the waterway's ecosystems.
If the local community collects leaves by requiring raking to the curb for collection, Ohio EPA suggests checking municipal requirements.
If a community allows it, property owners should rake leaves only to a grassy area along the road where runoff water can soak through leaves and into soil. This prevents water from pooling with leaves that wait on streets and curbsides, allowing the decaying nutrients to wash into storm drains.
Storm drains discharge directly into nearby waterways, so unlike sewer lines, these discharges are not treated before entering rivers and streams.
Leaves should never be swept or raked directly into storm drains.
Avoid using leaf blowers to move leaves and grass clippings onto sidewalks or into streets. This practice is often regulated by local ordinances and can be illegal and involve a fine. Check with your local community to learn local requirements.
To save and reuse nutrients from leaves, Ohio EPA recommends composting leaves in a composting container by combining half green and half brown yard wastes, grass clippings and raked leaves for example, and turning it to cause the mix to heat up and break down. This will contain the leaf nutrients until they convert to rich soil that can be used in gardens to feed plants in the spring.
To learn more about composting at home, visit www.epa.state.oh.us/dsiwm/document/guidance/gd_059.pdf.
Another way to minimize the impact of excess nutrients that drain through local watersheds is to install gutter guards to prevent leaves from collecting. When nutrient-rich leaves fall onto rooftops and get caught in rain gutters, the phosphorus and nitrogen leaches out and is channeled through gutters and pipes into storm drains and sewers.
