Striking a Balance in a Regional Stormwater Plan in York County

Being in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the 2013-2018 MS4 Permit cycle required many York County municipalities to create Chesapeake Bay Pollutant Reduction Plans (CBPRPs). The County’s Integrated Water Resources Plan, a component of the County’s Comprehensive Plan, as well as the York County Watershed Implementation Plan, recommended a Regional CBPRP. With support from PA DEP and with the York County Planning Commission leading the effort, each municipality (all 72!) was invited, free of charge, to participate in a regional plan.

The York County Stormwater Consortium formed in 2014 to implement the 2013-2017 Regional CBPRP through an Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement. The Consortium remains strong and the Agreement was reauthorized in 2017 to implement the 2018-2022 Regional CBPRP. The Agreement lays out a governance structure, policies, and a fee schedule. MS4 Permittee fees are based on a formula, while others pay a nominal flat fee. Money saved from cost efficiencies was directed to putting pollutant reducing projects on the ground.

Participants include 27 municipalities with an MS4 Permit, 16 municipalities with an MS4 Waiver (including the County of York), and 2 non-MS4 municipalities. Each municipality appoints 2 representatives to the Regional Committee, which elects 7 of its Primary Voting members to serve on the Management Committee.

In the current cycle, 11 BMP projects were completed through June 2020 at a cost of roughly $2.4 million. The Consortium contributed about $217,000 and leveraged the balance through other sources. This truly demonstrates the Consortium’s success in obtaining grant funds, developing partnerships, and using municipal fees wisely. This regional initiative provides multiple benefits resulting in improved water quality for York County and the Chesapeake Bay.