What is stormwater?
Answer: Stormwater is water from precipitation such as rain, sleet, or melting snow.
What does stormwater have to do with Abandoned Mines?
Answer: Surface abandoned mine features such as strip pits, subsidence areas and mine entrances can convey water directly underground filling up mine pools and discharging as polluted water to our rivers and streams. Repairing these “holes” can reduce resulting pollution to streams.
What is stormwater management?
Answer: Stormwater management involves the control of “run off” from precipitation
What is an MS4?
Answer: Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems within Urbanized Areas that essentially collect stormwater for a given Municipal Area. For a list of MS4 in Pennsylvania, please use this link: Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s) within Urbanized Areas in Pennsylvania
Why is stormwater management important?
Answer: Stormwater management is important to prevent physical damage to persons and property from flooding and to maintain the ecological integrity, quality and quantity of our water resources. Stormwater can also be considered a resource that provides benefits such as groundwater recharge and flood protection. Stormwater management also assists with the reduction and prevention of many different sources of pollution, which enter local waterways. Stormwater management can provide economic benefits to local communities as well. Proper management can result in reduced costs and/or fees for remediation of adverse impacts to stream channels, water quality, property damage and loss of life created by increased stormwater runoff.
Stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces is now recognized as a leading cause of impairment to our shared water resources. Studies conducted across the continent have shown that detectable degradation of streams, rivers and reservoirs begins with as little as 10% of a watershed being covered with impervious surfaces. While federal and state policies drive stormwater management, the ultimate responsibility lies with municipal officials.
EPCAMR worked with the Pocono Northeast Resource Conservation and Development Council to produce a Stormwater_Handbook for Municipal Planning. The handbook provides information that municipalities will need to address serious issues concerning stormwater management. This publication is not intended to be a legal document or an all-inclusive informational manual. This handbook is intended to provide information in an easy-to-use format on stormwater management and as a reference guide to assist municipalities and local communities.
More information can be obtained at www.stormwaterpa.org.
