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Stormwater management concerns the control of water (from rain, melting ice
or snow) that runs off the surface of the land. The amount and rate of
runoff is increased considerably as land is developed; construction of
impervious surface (e.g. parking lots) hinders the infiltration of rainfall
into the soil. Therefore stormwater management is imperative to offset the
possible impacts of development – flooding and erosion problems,
concentration of flow on neighboring properties, damages to infrastructure,
and non-point source pollution (i.e. pollution that comes from the general
drainage of the land such as runoff from parking lots and farmland).
Federal regulations enacted in December 1999 require Langhorne Manor Borough
to improve on their existing stormwater management program over the next
five years, beginning in March 2003.
The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase II
stormwater program requires that Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems
(MS4s) address the six required elements contained in the federal
regulations to reduce water pollution:
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Public education and outreach
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Public participation and involvement
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Illicit discharge detection and elimination
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Construction site runoff control
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Post-construction storm water management in new development and
redevelopment
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Pollution prevention and good housekeeping for municipal operations and
maintenance
Stormwater runoff occurs when water from rain or snow and ice melting flows
over the ground. Stormwater becomes a problem when it picks up debris,
chemicals, dirt and other pollutants as it flows or when it causes flooding
and erosion of streambanks. Stormwater travels through a system of pipes and
roadside ditches that make up storm sewer systems. It eventually flows
directly to a lake, river, stream, wetland or coastal water. All of the
pollutants stormwater carries along the way empty into our waters, too,
because stormwater does not get treated!
Here
are some of the most important ways for Borough residents to prevent
stormwater pollution:
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Properly dispose of
hazardous substances, such as used motor oil, cleaning supplies and paint
- never pour them down any part of the storm sewer system, and report
anyone who does.
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Use pesticides,
fertilizers and herbicides properly and efficiently to prevent excess
runoff of these items.
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Look for signs of soil
and other pollutants, such as debris and chemicals, leaving construction
sites in stormwater runoff or tracked into roads by construction vehicles.
Report poorly managed construction sites that could impact stormwater
runoff to the Borough.
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Install innovative
stormwater practices on residential properties, such as rain barrels or
rain gardens, that capture stormwater and keep it on-site instead of
letting it drain away into the storm sewer system.
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Report any discharge from
stormwater outfalls during times of dry weather - a sign there could be a
problem with the storm sewer system.
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Pick up after pets and
dispose of their waste properly. No matter where pets make a mess - in a
backyard or on open space - stormwater runoff can carry pet waste from the
land to the storm sewer system to a stream.
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Store materials that
could pollute water indoors and use containers for outdoor storage that do
not rust or leak to eliminate exposure of materials to stormwater.
Information on this program is available from the
Pennsylvania DEP (click here).
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