Stormwater pollution is a detrimental problem to our
environment by degrading water quality in the
streams, rivers, lakes, and coastal waters. The
Environmental Protection Agency and Pennsylvania
Department of Environmental Protection recognize
this growing problem and have implemented
numerous permits to prevent stormwater pollution.
One such permit is the Municipal Separate Storm
Sewer System (MS4) that was issued to hundreds of
municipalities in Pennsylvania back in 2003.
Prohibited non-stormwater discharges that enter into
the storm drain and result in pollution to our
waterways are commonly referred to as illicit
discharges. Examples of illicit discharges include:
Fuel and Gasoline
Automotive oil
Grease
Construction runoff (i.e. sediment)
Soaps and Detergents
Paint
Grass clippings
Sanitary wastewater
Animal waste
Household chemicals
According to the MS4 permit there are exemptions to
what can drain into the storm sewer system. Examples
of non-stormwater discharges which are not
considered illicit include:
Residential car washing without soaps
Discharges from potable water sources
Air conditioning condensation
Irrigation water
Springs
Water from crawl space pumps
Footing and foundation drains
Lawn watering
Water line flushing
Flows from firefighting
Please report any suspect illicit discharges
to DEPARTMENT/NAME.
PHONE NUMBER
EMAIL OR WEBSITE
REPORTING STORMWATER POLLUTION
Keeping our waterways clean and pollution-free!
Source information for this article
provided with permission by the EPA
Learn more at GatewayEngineers.com
Bill Bottorff, Public Works Director
bbottorff@ceciltownship.com
