West Bradford Township Stormwater Management Program

In Conjunction with the Pennsylvania DEP MS-4 Program

The Problem

We all see the water flowing into our storm drains during a storm or snowmelt.  What most residents don’t realize, is that the water flowing into our Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4’s) is arriving dirtier and in greater quantities than ever before. 

 The problem occurs when precipitation lands on an impervious surface such as a paved street, rooftop, or driveway.  Instead of the water slowly soaking into the soil and becoming purified, the water flows over these impervious surfaces and picks up pollutants.  Oil and grease from roadways, pesticides from lawns, sediment from construction sites, and litter are all picked up by the water and conveyed directly to a storm drain with the impurities in tow.

The Result

 o       Increased volumes of polluted water reaching our storm sewers impair the waterways, thereby discouraging use of the resource. 

o       Pollutants contaminate drinking water supplies, and interfere with the habitat for fish, aquatic organisms, and wildlife. 

o       High volumes of water undercut streambeds and cause erosion, leading to an overall downfall in the health of a stream. 

The Solution

West Bradford Township is part of a statewide campaign to combat storm sewer pollution.  The Pennsylvania Department for Environmental Protection has developed the following six guidelines (Minimum Control Measures) for program development in order to help communities like West Bradford Township maintain a complete stormwater program.  Please click below for the EPA requirements and further explanations:

 Public Education and Outreach

Distributing educational materials and performing outreach to inform citizens about the impacts polluted storm water runoff discharges can have on water quality.   

 Controls include:       

• Creating brochures or fact sheets for public distribution.

• Instituting educational programs for school-age children.

Public Participation/Involvement

Providing opportunities for citizens to participate directly in program development and implementation.

Controls include:       

• Organization of community clean-ups, storm drain stenciling, outfall monitoring, and citizen watch groups.

 Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination

Developing a system to detect and eliminate illicit discharges to the storm sewer system.

Controls include:      

•  Promoting recycling programs for commonly dumped wastes.

•  Locating and testing suspected problem areas for pollution.

•  Informing the public of the hazards of illegal discharges.

 Construction Site Runoff Control

Developing, implementing, and enforcing an erosion and sediment control program for construction activities.

Controls include:       

• Appropriate site plan review and inspection of new construction.

• Require implementation of State and County erosion control regulations.

 Post Construction Runoff Control

Creating a program to address storm water runoff from newly developed or redeveloped areas.

 Controls include:       

• Require protection of environmentally sensitive areas (e.g. wetlands).

• Require recharge of runoff from new impervious surfaces. 

 Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping

This program’s goal is to reduce pollutant runoff from municipal operations. 

Controls include:  

• Regular street sweeping.

• Reduction in the use of pesticides or street salt.

• Frequent catch-basin cleaning.

 Storm Drain Stenciling

West Bradford Township with the assistance of volunteers has started to mark some of the storm drains in the Township with the "No Dumping / Drains to Waterways" stencils.  These storm drain stencils educate the public that anything you dump into the storm drain ends up directly in a creek or other public waterway.  If you would like volunteer and help with storm drain stenciling: please call the Township at 610-269-4174 or e-mail us at wbradford@westbradford.org.

What Residents can help watch for:

• Sediment leaving a construction site in stormwater

• Spills, hazardous materials (Chemical, Gas, Oil)
• Illegal dumping activity into streams or storm sewers
• Dry weather flows observed to be contaminated or polluted from outfall pipes into streams (72 hours after a rain storm)
• Observed pollution event or pollutants in stream
• Clogged, leaking or overflowing sanitary sewer lines
• Inadequately treated effluent from a sewage treatment plant

Residents may be the first to recognize "illicit" discharges dumping into storm sewers or coming out of from storm sewer outfalls. If you see an "illicit" discharge please report that by one of the following methods:

 Related Publications and Resources

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection – Contains information on Pennsylvania’s storm water management program including the Best Management Practices Manual. 
http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/watershed_management/10593

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Best Management Practices (BMP) Manual
http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/best_management_practices_manual/10631

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Southeast Regional Office – Provides information on Southeast Pennsylvania’s storm water management program and procedures for reporting an environmental incident. 
http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/southeastro/site/default.asp

EPA National Menu of Storm Water Best Management Practices (BMPs) – This interactive web document gives an overview of all BMPs for guidance and reference purposes.
http://cfpub1.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/menuofbmps/index.cfm

After the Storm - A Citizen's Guide to Stormwater
http://water.epa.gov/action/weatherchannel/upload/2008_09_12_weatherchannel_after_the_storm-read2.pdf

Make your Home into a Stormwater Pollution Solution! – The EPA homeowner’s guide to healthy habits for clean water. 
http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/solution_to_pollution.pdf

Protect Your Water Quality from Urban Runoff -  Clean water is everybody's business!
http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/nps_urban-facts_final.pdf

What Happens After the Flush?   How a House Works.
http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/what_happens_after_the_flush.pdf

Water Efficient Landscaping - Preventing Pollution and Using Resources Wisely
http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/waterefficiency.pdf

EPA Stormwater Program Information - NPDES Permit Program Basics information on the major features and elements of the NPDES permit program.
http://www.cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm?program_id=6

Stormwater and the Construction Industry - Maintain Your BMPs!
http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/posterside1.pdf

How Do I Get Stormwater Permit Coverage for My Construction Site?  A Construction Site Operator’s Guide to EPA’s Stormwater Permit Program
http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/sw_cgp_brochure.pdf

Brandywine Valley Association - BVA provides Water protection and Environmental Education for the Brandywine Valley.  BVA is now more than 800 members strong and is still working to protect the picturesque and productive Brandywine Creek.
http://www.brandywinewatershed.org/2008/education/index.asp

Chester County Water Resources Authority - The mission of CCWRA is to provide the basic science, analyses and planning necessary to protect public safety, to preserve the integrity of the County’s natural water resources and watershed systems, and to balance the needs of water users in support of Landscapes and planned growth for the County.
http://dsf.chesco.org/water/site/default.asp 

Chester County Conservation District - The mission of CCCD is to provide leadership in addressing natural resource conservation issues by promoting the sustainable use of those resources to the citizens of Chester County through education and technical assistance.
http://dsf.chesco.org/conservation/site/default.asp

Low Impact Development Center – Information on protecting the environment and water resources through integrated site design techniques.
www.lowimpactdevelopment.org

Strategies: Community Responses to Runoff Pollution – This interactive web document explores some of the most effective strategies that communities are using around the nation to control urban runoff pollution.
www.nrdc.org/water/pollution/storm/stoinx.asp 

Stormwater Information for Homeowners - A homeowner's guide to stormwater management provided by the Philadelphia Water Department, Office of Watersheds.
http://www.delawareestuary.org/pdf/HomeownersGuideSWMgmnt.pdf

Good Housekeeping Practices for:

    Auto Maintenance, Repair and Fueling Operations

    Restaurants and Food Service Establishments

Educational Information for:

    Fertilizing

    Car Washing 

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