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Municipal Options for Meeting MS4 Compliance without Breaking the Budget

Managing stormwater has taken on new importance in Pennsylvania with the record high precipitation of this past year.  Climate change will doubtless make managing stormwater more, not less, important as time goes by.  How a municipality deals with stormwater from the standpoint of finances and budget is only one aspect of the situation.  Environmental concerns, and the needs of the residents, must also be taken into consideration. 

Municipalities wishing to meet MS4 requirements have many options: hire a consultant, do an education program for the public, test water coming from outfalls… but one of the most effective steps to take is to use existing resources, existing personnel, existing projects and property, to improve the quality of stormwater in local streams and bodies of water.

The webinar focuses on four areas: Retrofit of existing detention ponds; installation of permeable pavements; construction of rain gardens; and restoration of streambanks.  These four ‘Best Management Practices’ or BMP’s are accomplishable by a municipality, affordable to a limited budget, and creditable for a MS4 program. 

The Westmoreland Conservation District has many years of experience with all four of these BMP’s, having designed and constructed many such installations in varying situations county-wide.  Our philosophy is to work cooperatively with municipalities, land owners, watershed groups, contractors, and others to achieve environmentally beneficial projects.  These practices enable municipalities to meet the MS4 BMP requirements and achieve a sustainable end result for stormwater management in their communities.

Approved for  1.25 CM credit 

More information contact Peter Wulfhorst, 570-296-3400.