2024 MS4 Events:
May 11, 2024 Spring Raingarden Maintenace Day Event
2024 LANCASTER WATER WEEK EVENTS – LANCASTER CONSERVACY
2023 MS4 Events:
Penn State Extension has released a series of webinars related to residential stormwater. The webinars are free of charge, but Registration is required.
Lancaster Water Week Events – Lancaster Conservancy
Riparian Buffer Tree Planting Event in Conjunction with the Little Conestoga Water Shed Alliance was held to plant 207 trees and shrubs in an effort to help protect our waterways.
This event took place at Constitution Square Park (behind 6495 Hollow Drive) on May 14, 2022 from 9:00 a.m.—12:00 p.m. Many residents volunteered and gave of their time to help with the plantings.
As part of the East Petersburg Borough’s Annual Participation program, we are asking residents to please fill out this Stormwater Survey.
Public Link to Survey: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/aa28a9ef043c4e76a84edf2e6e2d7cc0?portalUrl=https://EastPeteBoro.maps.arcgis.com
Public Link to Dashboard: https://arcg.is/0ej1yy
We welcome you to the Borough’s Storm Water Management Information page.
This page is designed to provide Borough citizens with quick access to information and resources to preserve and protect clean water in the borough and the Lancaster County regional community. East Petersburg borough is actively involved in a variety of programs and initiatives to meet various Statewide and National goals for clean water. Local residents have a role to play too, which when combined together will have a positive impact on our environment, and the water that is so important to us all.
Storm water originates from rainfall and other precipitation that runs off surfaces all over the Borough – rooftops, streets, construction sites, lawns, fields, etc. Storm water makes its way into swales, storm drains, natural water courses, and it literally takes everything loose on the ground with it when it rains…pollutants, sediment, leaves, trash, etc. The borough is actively involved in meeting statutory permitting requirements under state and federal law. The borough is also active with partners in a variety of programs and strategies to enhance water quality through plantings, mowing strategies, implementation of storm water management facilities, and other “best management practices” (BMPs).
We hope that you will find this information useful in learning about the requirements, as well as tools to use on your own.
To keep the residents informed, we will hold an annual MS4 public meeting.
Storm Water Management – NPDES and MS4 (Storm Sewer) Programs:
The Clean Water Act is the federal legislation that governs storm water management and storm water point discharges to waters of the U.S. (pipes and drain pipes). This is regulated through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits.
In 1999, federal regulations extended coverage of the NPDES program to local separate storm sewer systems (MS4’s) serving populations less than 100,000. East Petersburg Borough is required to comply with the NPDES program as a MS4 municipality. Under the NPDES stormwater program, permittees must develop a stormwater management plan that provides the details of how the community will comply with the requirements of the permit. Permits are based on a framework of six minimum control measures:
- Public education and outreach
- Public participation and involvement
- Illicit discharge detection and elimination
- Construction site runoff control
- Post-construction storm water management in new development and redevelopment
- Pollution prevention and good housekeeping for municipal operations and maintenance
There are a variety of documents and guides available that you will find useful in learning about stormwater management and best management practices for new construction, residential homes and businesses.
Quick Reference Stormwater Management Documents & Links:
What is Stormwater for Borough Residents, What is Stormwater for Kids, What is Stormwater for Local Businesses, Stormwater and Construction for Borough Residents, Stormwater and Construction for Developers
Lancaster County Conservation District
Homeowners Guide to Stormwater BMP Maintenance
EPA Office of Water- Nutrient, Sediment, and Pathogens
DEP Municipal Storm Water Page
Lancaster County Watershed Page
Little Conestoga Watershed Alliance
Watch this video about “Storm Water to Drinking Water”
What Residents Can Do Now
The goals of all MS4 program and the Borough are to reduce the discharge of pollutants from the Borough, to protect water quality and to satisfy requirements of the Clean Water Act. Get involved.
Storm water from your home and from the public streets goes into a storm sewer, which goes directly into streams. This water is not cleaned in any way and does not go to the waste water treatment plant. The Borough needs all of its residents to assist us in keeping our storm water and storm water sewer system clean by doing the following:
- Keep grass clippings out of the street, consider leaving grass clipping on the lawn during mowing. They decompose quickly and release valuable nutrients back into the lawn.
- Dispose of water properly, including swimming pool water DEP Swimming Pool Discharge Recommendations
- Clean up after your pets
- When washing your car use phosphate free cleaner and avoid debris and residue runoff going into the storm basin by washing your car in a grassy area
- Use fertilizers properly and efficiently to prevent excess runoff
- Store materials that could pollute storm water indoors
- Keep leaves and debris from blocking the storm drain.
The term low impact development (LID) refers to systems and practices that use or mimic natural processes that result in the infiltration, evapotranspiration or use of stormwater in order to protect water quality and associated aquatic habitat. LID practices aim to preserve, restore and create green space using soils, vegetation, and rainwater harvest techniques. LID is an approach to land development (or re-development) that works with nature to manage stormwater as close to its source as possible. The Borough encourages low impact development or re-development whenever possible.
https://www.epa.gov/_reducingstormwatercosts-2.pdf
http://www.dot.state.pa.us/_Standards_for_Residential_Site_Design_(2007).pdf
Also, please monitor storm water inlets near your property. No one should dump anything into the storm sewer system. If you see someone dumping please call the Borough at (717) 569-9282.
- Sediment leaving a construction site in storm water
- Spills (Chemical, Gas, Oil)
- Illegal dumping activity into streams or storm sewers (PLEASE CALL 717-664-1180)
- Dry weather flows from outfall pipes into streams (72 hours after a rain storm)
Again, residents may be the first to recognize “illicit discharge” such as dumping into storm sewers or coming out of storm sewer outfalls. If you see “illicit discharge” please report this information to the Borough by calling 717.569.9282 or by filling out the MS4 COMPLAINT FORM and bringing it to the Borough office. This can also be reported to the Borough office through this contact us link
You can view the Annual MS4 Report by clicking on this link, or it is available to view at the Borough office Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.