Stormwater Stewardship Month: The Path of Stormwater

Published on May 07, 2025

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By Hanna Malone and Savannah Bunch

Where does rain go after it falls?

If you said “down,” you’re not wrong—but the path it takes once it hits the ground is a bit more complicated than that. This May is Stormwater Stewardship Month, so let’s get into all things Stormwater.

Stormwater: It’s Just Rain

Let’s clear this up front: stormwater is just rainwater, or precipitation.

It’s not tidal flooding. It’s not storm surge from a hurricane. And it’s definitely not wastewater. It’s just rain that hits the ground and starts its journey toward the nearest waterway.

In nature, rain behaves pretty well. It falls to the ground, gets soaked up into the soil, feeds plants, and gets filtered by soil and plant roots. It even recharges underground aquifers like the Floridan Aquifer that lies beneath Dunedin. Think of stormwater like a Slinky. A Slinky will walk downstairs (alone or in pairs), pulled by gravity. That’s exactly how rain moves across a watershed.

For thousands of years, nature had a system here in Dunedin. But in the 19th century, early settlers arrived and started to alter the natural water system. To protect the new settlements and developed areas, we also had to start building stormwater management systems to direct rain away from homes, roads, businesses, and people.

Understanding Stormwater and Pollution

To prevent flooding, we’ve built an elaborate system of storm drains, ditches, and underground pipes to move water out of neighborhoods and toward places like Cedar Creek, Curlew Creek, Spring Branch, and eventually, the Gulf.

Our pipes and storm drains move water, but they don’t clean it. Anything on the ground—trash, oil, fertilizer, pet waste—gets picked up and carried away with the rain.

Some parts of the stormwater system include special features, like CDS units (Continuous Deflection Separators), which trap large debris like leaves and litter. But many pollutants, especially dissolved chemicals and bacteria, slip right through.

Here’s where things get murky- literally.

When polluted stormwater reaches streams and bays, it brings extra nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. That can lead to eutrophication, which is just a fancy word for: “Too many nutrients, not enough oxygen.” This causes harmful algal blooms, which kill fish, block sunlight, and damage entire aquatic ecosystems.

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The more we pave, plant non-native lawns, and introduce chemicals, the more we strain the very systems we built to protect ourselves.

Local Examples That Might Hit Home

Let’s make it real:

  • Dunedin is proudly “Dogedin,” but more dogs = more poop = more bacteria in our stormwater.
  • Non-native plants like turfgrass look nice, but it’s thirsty, shallow-rooted, and bad at soaking up stormwater.
  • Climate change means heavier rains that overload storm drains—and longer dry spells that make pollution more concentrated when it finally does rain.

In short: we’re building and living in ways that work against the natural water cycle. But we’re not powerless.

What You Can Do (Yes, You!)

We all have a part to play in keeping our stormwater—and our waterways—clean. It’s less about being perfect, and more about being mindful. Here are some easy wins:

  • Scoop the poop—yes, even in your backyard
  • Use fewer (or no) fertilizers and pesticides
  • Choose native plants for landscaping. They're Florida’s stormwater superheroes.                                 
  • Wash your car on the lawn, not the driveway
  • Never dump oil, mop water, paint, or yard waste into the street or storm drain.
  • Remember: Only Rain Down the Drain!

Stormwater might start as simple rain, but once it hits the ground it becomes a community resource. Let’s treat it that way- with care, awareness, and attention. Follow along with us the rest of May to find out more about stormwater, it’s impacts, and how we can all be better stormwater stewards.

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