For over 20 years, the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy has aided municipalities of the watershed in meeting the educational requirements of the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit.
What is Ms4?
The MS4 program is mandated under the Clean Water Act and administered by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The goal of this program is to reduce the amount of pollution being discharged into waterbodies from separate storm sewer systems (MS4s).
An MS4 is a collection of structures, like a retention basin, roadside inlet or underground pipe, that are designed to collect and transport polluted stormwater and discharge it, untreated, into local waterways. MS4s are owned or operated by a city, town or other public entity and are not connected to the sanitary sewer system or waste water treatment plant.
Through this program, local municipalities must obtain a permit to legally discharge stormwater into local streams and creeks. In order to meet the terms of this permit, they need to create a Stormwater Management Program (SWMP) that is designed to reduce the amount of pollution entering local waterbodies.
Every SWMP must address the same 6 focus areas, also called Minimum Control Measures (MCMs) that are considered essential for successfully reducing stormwater pollution:
Public Education and Outreach
Public Participation and Involvement
Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
Construction Site Runoff Control
Post-Construction Runoff Control
Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations
Our MS4 Program
The Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy offers annual membership opportunities to municipalities within the watershed to help them meet the requirements of the MS4 permit.
Through this membership, municipalities receive various benefits designed to help them address the minimum control measures and reduce stormwater pollution within their township or borough. MS4 program benefits are outlined below.
If you are interested in more information or are looking to enroll in this annual program, please email our Director of Conservation, Jessie Kemper.
Stormwater Solutions
Learn more about what you can do to reduce stormwater pollution at home and within your municipality.
Grant Program
Learn more about the grant program, application process as well as project guidelines for $1,000 members.
Stormwater Symposium Resource Suite
Dive deeper into stormwater with the Conservancy and many of our regional partners. This event acts as a one stop shop for all things MS4!
2026 Membership Benefits:
Please note that Patron and Benefactor levels will also receive all benefits of the lower levels.
Benefactor: $1000
Benefactors are eligible for the following membership benefits:
Municipal MS4 Grant Program
Benefactor members may submit a grant application to install a stormwater BMP within their municipality. Applications will be reviewed, selected and implemented by PWC. Additional program information and the grant application can be found here.Two Free Tickets to the Perkiomen Stormwater Symposium
Benefactor municipalities receive two complimentary tickets for staff members to attend the Stormwater Symposium, scheduled for March 20, 2026. This training serves as a one-stop-shop for municipal staff, covering all six MCMs, while also providing educational materials and volunteer opportunities for residents. Additional information about the 2026 Symposium coming soon!Community Engagement Workshop
PWC will host an educational workshop for your residents at a municipal location of your choosing. Possible workshop topics include rain barrel building, rain gardens, converting lawn to native garden, native plants and stormwater management. Municipalities are responsible for scheduling the workshop and PWC will provide materials as needed.
Patron Level: $500
Patrons are eligible for the following membership benefits:
Stormwater Reduction Statistics Package
A detailed report summarizing PWC events your municipality and/or residents participated in, with statistics for inclusion in your MS4 reports.
Promoter Level: $250
Promoters are eligible for the following membership benefits:
Educational Articles
Access to educational articles, pamphlets and handouts created by PWC to help education residents about stormwater pollution issues. Materials will be provided electronically and municipalities will be responsible for distributing them.
2026 Municipal Members:
East Greenville Borough
Hilltown Township
Lansdale Borough
Limerick Township
Perkasie Borough
New Hanover Township
Sellersville Borough
Souderton Borough
Towamencin Township
Upper Gwynedd Township
Upper Milford Township
Upper Providence Township
Washington Township
West Norriton Township
Bucker Park Rain Garden - 2017 Grant Project
Cuddy Park Rain Garden - 2020 Grant Project
Upper Gwynedd Meadow Project - 2023 Grant Project
Telford Rain Garden - 2018 Grant Project
Douglass Township Rain Garden - 2021 Grant Project
Red Hill Rain Garden - 2024 Grant Project
Perk Trail Rain Gardens - 2019 Grant Project
Upper Milford Streambank Restoration - 2022 Grant Project