CSO
Tour
CSOs
are one of many sources of pollution that affect water quality and aquatic life
in the Christina River, Brandywine Creek and the Delaware Estuary. To be effective,
water pollution must be coordinated on a watershed basis. Waters entering the
City remain largely unchanged as they flow to the Delaware River, making water
quality a regional problem. The Watershed approach enables management of all
sources of pollution from urban, suburban and rural areas to be integrated in
a responsible manner.
Working
cooperatively with the states of Delaware and Pennsylvania and other participants
in the Delaware Estuary Program, Wilmington is committed to doing its share
to protect and restore these important resources.
Combined
Sewer Overflows (CSOs) represent a small fraction of impacts to
our streams and rivers.
The
combined storm water and sewer overflows that occur during heavy storms deliver
organic and chemical pollution, and bacteria, to streams and rivers. And while
reduction of CSOs will improve the quality of water in the
Brandywine,
Christina and other tributaries in the City, it alone will not solve water quality
problems. Other important sources of pollution are shown on the pie chart below.
