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• PERKIOMEN PARTNERSHIP & STORMWATER MANDATES |
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Monday, February 04, 2008 |
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Nineteen communities in Montgomery, Bucks and Lehigh Counties have joined the Perkiomen MS4 Partnership in order to jointly address the public education and participation requirements of the Pennsylvania’s stormwater management regulations. The Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy will be assisting the Partnership. Many municipalities in Pennsylvania are required to provide information about stormwater to their citizens as part of the PA Department of Environmental Protection’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) program.
The municipal Partners include East Greenville Borough, East Rockhill Township, Lower Frederick Township, Lower Pottsgrove Township, Lower Providence Township, Lower Salford Township, Marlborough Township, New Hanover Township, Pennsburg Borough, Perkasie Borough, Perkiomen Township, Schwenksville Borough, Sellersville Borough, Souderton Borough, Telford Borough, Upper Gwynedd Township, Upper Milford Township, Upper Providence Township and West Rockhill Township. Additional municipalities are expected to join the Partnership.
The overall goal of the Perkiomen MS4 Partnership is to increase the public’s awareness and understanding of the role stormwater plays in replenishing local groundwater supplies and what individuals and property owners can do to improve the water quality of stormwater run-off.
Stormwater is the name we give rain when it starts to become a nuisance. But rain is critical to our survival. Without rain, our lush landscapes turn brown and dusty, our wells go dry and our quality of life begins to deteriorate. But too much of a good thing can cause serious problems.
Stormwater replenishes local water supplies when it has a chance to infiltrate into the ground. Groundwater recharge is reduced when the natural hydrologic cycle is interrupted by impervious surfaces that block stormwater infiltration. Whether a community uses private or public wells or draws from surface water sources, restoring groundwater is critical to ensuring that clean water supplies will be available in the future.
We cannot change the amount of rain that falls but we can manage our stormwater in ways that help preserve our water supplies without washing away our streambanks and adjacent communities. Older stormwater management techniques result in a concentration of run-off that can damage creeks and exacerbate flooding problems. Stormwater run-off also carries non-point source pollutants such as lawn chemicals, petroleum products from vehicles and pet and animal wastes into local waterways.
Wise stormwater management is necessary to minimize storm damage, reduce the potential for human and property losses, filter out pollutants and ensure that rainwater reaches local groundwater supplies. Proper stormwater management requires that everyone understand some basic principles and take some simple actions.
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