Stormwater Management
What is Stormwater?
Stormwater runoff is water from rain or melting snow that does not soak into the ground. It flows from rooftops, paved areas, bare soil, and lawns into storm drains or ditches. Storm sewers and ditches collect stormwater runoff and empty it directly to local bodies of water. Ideally, stormwater runoff would be free of contaminants. In reality, it picks up pollutants such as animal waste, pesticides, fertilizers, salt, oil and grease, soil and debris and transports them to waterways where they are discharged with no treatment. This is stormwater pollution.
You can identify a storm sewer by the open grates along roadways and within some low‐lying areas. Storm sewer systems cannot treat polluted water. Stormwater doesn’t get carried to the wastewater treatment plant. Storm sewers transport rainwater and everything in it directly to surrounding rivers, streams, lakes, and other bodies of water.
What is MS4?
MS4 stands for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems. MS4 includes curbs, gutters, ditches, naturally occurring and manmade channels, pipes, tunnels, catch basins, and storm drains owned and maintained by a municipality. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection require municipalities to develop and implement best management practices to protect water quality, enhance water availability, and reduce flooding potential through effective stormwater management.
What can you do to Protect Water Quality?
Palmyra Stormwater Ordinance
PA's Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Lebanon County Clean Water Alliance
Lebanon County Conservation District
Stormwater Runoff in Urban areas
Report Potential Stormwater Pollution
Stormwater runoff is water from rain or melting snow that does not soak into the ground. It flows from rooftops, paved areas, bare soil, and lawns into storm drains or ditches. Storm sewers and ditches collect stormwater runoff and empty it directly to local bodies of water. Ideally, stormwater runoff would be free of contaminants. In reality, it picks up pollutants such as animal waste, pesticides, fertilizers, salt, oil and grease, soil and debris and transports them to waterways where they are discharged with no treatment. This is stormwater pollution.
You can identify a storm sewer by the open grates along roadways and within some low‐lying areas. Storm sewer systems cannot treat polluted water. Stormwater doesn’t get carried to the wastewater treatment plant. Storm sewers transport rainwater and everything in it directly to surrounding rivers, streams, lakes, and other bodies of water.
What is MS4?
MS4 stands for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems. MS4 includes curbs, gutters, ditches, naturally occurring and manmade channels, pipes, tunnels, catch basins, and storm drains owned and maintained by a municipality. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection require municipalities to develop and implement best management practices to protect water quality, enhance water availability, and reduce flooding potential through effective stormwater management.
What can you do to Protect Water Quality?
- Never dump anything down storm drains
- Use lawn and garden chemicals sparingly; sweep up any excess from driveways, sidewalks and roads
- Repair vehicle leaks; cover spilled fluids with kitty litter then sweep into household waste
- Pick up after your pet and dispose of properly
- Control soil erosion on your property by planting ground cover and stabilizing erosion‐prone areas
- Keep grass clippings, leaves, litter, and debris out of street gutters and storm drains
- Direct downspouts onto grassy areas away from paved surfaces
- Use a commercial car wash or wash your vehicle on the grass instead of the driveway
- Dispose of used oil, antifreeze, paints and other household chemicals in an approved manner
Palmyra Stormwater Ordinance
PA's Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Lebanon County Clean Water Alliance
Lebanon County Conservation District
Stormwater Runoff in Urban areas
Report Potential Stormwater Pollution