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Electric and hybrid vehicles could reduce noise pollution, but only if those vehicles make up a high proportion of total vehicles on the road; even if traffic in an urban area reached a makeup of fifty percent electric vehicles, the overall noise reduction achieved would only be a few decibels and would be barely noticeable. [12]
A washout is the sudden erosion of soft soil or other support surfaces by a gush of water, usually occurring during a heavy downpour of rain (a flash flood) or other stream flooding. These downpours may occur locally in a thunderstorm or over a large area, such as following the landfall of a tropical cyclone .
The sound tube in Melbourne, Australia, designed to reduce roadway noise without detracting from the area's aesthetics. A noise barrier (also called a soundwall, noise wall, sound berm, sound barrier, or acoustical barrier) is an exterior structure designed to protect inhabitants of sensitive land use areas from noise pollution.
Downspout disconnection is a form of green infrastructure that separates roof downspouts from the sewer system and redirects roof water runoff into permeable surfaces. [14] It can be used for storing stormwater or allowing the water to penetrate the ground. Downspout disconnection is especially beneficial in cities with combined sewer systems.
Copper Leader Head at Penn's Quadrangle, Philadelphia 1894 Copper Leader at Shofuso Japanese House and Garden in Philadelphia. The purpose of a leader head is to help transfer excess water from the roof onto downspouts, thus preventing the gutters from overflowing and water washing over the walls, which is a common occurrence in areas susceptible to heavy rain cycles.
Beginning in the 20th century, designers of industrial and municipal sewage pollution controls typically utilized engineered systems (e.g. filters, clarifiers, biological reactors) to provide the central components of pollution control systems, and used the term "BMPs" to describe the supporting functions for these systems, such as operator training and equipment maintenance.
Installing energy efficient lighting and appliances are a relatively cheap way to reduce pollution on a smaller scale. According to EPA, there are some everyday steps that can be taken to prevent pollution: Use paper in limited quantities, and print double-sided. Also, look for paper that has been made with recycled materials.
Rain gardens also reduce the amount of polluted runoff that enters the storm sewer system, which discharges directly to surface waters and causes erosion, water pollution and flooding. [5] Rain gardens also reduce energy consumption by decreasing the load on conventional stormwater infrastructure.