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Stormwater management
concerns the control of water (from rain, melting ice or snow)
that runs off the surface of the land. The amount and rate of
runoff is increased considerably as land is developed;
construction of impervious surface (e.g. parking lots) hinders
the infiltration of rainfall into the soil. Therefore stormwater
management is imperative to offset the possible impacts of
development – flooding and erosion problems, concentration of
flow on neighboring properties, damages to infrastructure, and
non-point source pollution (i.e. pollution that comes from the
general drainage of the land such as runoff from parking lots
and farmland).
New federal National
Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) regulations
require municipalities in urbanized areas to obtain permits, as
well as implement and enforce a DEP approved stormwater
management program with the goal of protecting water quality.
This program must contain a schedule, best management practices,
and measurable goals for the following: public education and
outreach, public participation and involvement, illicit
discharge detection and elimination, construction site runoff
control, post-construction stormwater management in new
development and redevelopment, and pollution prevention and good
housekeeping for municipal operations and maintenance.
On October 29, 2002,
representatives from various municipalities within the Neshaminy
Watershed met at the Doylestown Township administration building
to discuss these new regulations. Appreciating the benefits
achieved through collaboration and the strides to be made by
minimizing duplicate efforts, attendees formed the NPDES Task
Force for Central Bucks. Public education, outreach and
involvement are among the first goals to be pursued.
The task force meets several
times a year. Please contact Doylestown Township at (215)
348-9915 or
info@doylestownpa.org for
the current meeting schedule.
For more information about the stormwater management program, visit www.dep.state.pa.us; Type
“stormwater” in the directLINK input filed in the upper
left-hand corner of the screen.
Watch
After the Storm on
Channel 23
Watch After the Storm, a half-hour
television program about watersheds co-produced by EPA and The Weather
Channel.
This program provides a way for citizens to learn more about the threats
facing our waterways from polluted runoff.
After the
Storm is broadcast daily at 12 noon, 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM on Channel 23.
Download the
After the Storm brochure. |
