Stormwater Information

Stormwater runoff is generated when precipitation from rain and snowmelt events flows over land or impervious surfaces and does not percolate into the ground. As the runoff flows over the land or impervious surfaces (paved streets, parking lots, and building rooftops), it accumulates debris, chemicals, sediment or other pollutants that could adversely affect water quality if the runoff is discharged untreated.

You can make a difference and help us keep our local waters clean. As a visitor to this site, you've already taken the first step: getting informed. Step two: adopt a couple of clean water habits, such as:

• Picking up after your pets and disposing of their waste properly
• Applying fertilizer and pesticides in the proper amounts. Besides costing more, excess fertilizers just run off your lawn and into streams, where they cause nutrient-loading which in turn deprives aquatic species of proper oxygen levels
• Maintaining your vehicle properly, and most importantly, not dumping oil or any type of fluid down storm drains
• Washing your vehicle on grassed areas so that water with pollutants filter down through the ground and do not run directly into the storm drain system
• Not littering, as litter often washes away along with storm water and can be ingested by fish, birds, or other wildlife.

What Residents Can Help Watch For:

• Sediment leaving a construction site in stormwater
• Spills (Chemical, Gas, Oil)
• Illegal dumping activity into streams or storm sewers (PLEASE CALL 911 FIRST)
• Dry weather flows from outfall pipes into streams (72 hours after a rain storm)

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

• Call the Township Office at (215) 766-8914
• Send an e-mail through to our Public Works Director at ableam@plumstead.gov
  
  

Here is an example of a project the Township is undertaking to improve stormwater management in the Summer Meadow neighborhood. The streambank has been eroding from high rain events and residents mowing right up to the edge of the bank. This first phase involves some seeding/mulching disturbed areas and installation of slope protection walls. Work will also include cleanup and stabilization, along with the shrub and live stake planting. Streambank project was completed in Fall 2019.

Important reminder to all residents: please do not deposit grass clippings near a waterway, as the clippings compromise the integrity of the ground and can clog the waterway causing further erosion.

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Related Links
DEP Guide to Maintaining Streams in Your Community
Stormwater PA
PA DEP
PA DEP SWM
EPA NPDES
EPA Facility SWM
EPA Nonpoint Source Outreach Toolbox
EPA Best Management Practices (BMP) for Stormwater
EPA Green Infrastructure
DEP Construction SWM (booklet)
Center for Watershed Protection
BC Conservation District
Pervious Concrete Pavement Maintenance
Stormwater and the Construction Industry
Does Your Construction Site Need a Stormwater Permit
How Does Your Garden Grow
Water Efficient Landscaping
Homeowners Guide to Septic Systems
Homeowners Guide to Stormwater
Stormwater Puzzle Placement
Wetlands Education for Students and Teachers
Learning and Teaching about the Environment
Educational Resources for Children, Parents & Teachers
Stormwater PA
SWM & Construction
When it Rains, it Drains
Citizens Guide to Understanding Stormwater
Homeowners Guide to SWM
MS-4
Melting Snow: It's stormwater too
Green Solution to SWM
Curb Water Polution
FEMA | Federal Emergency Management Agency
PA Department of Environmental Protection
Center for Watershed Protection
Swimming Pool Guidelines
Bucks County Conservation District
Emergency Action Plan - Nockamixon Dam
Clean Water Partners
Green Guide for Property Management
My Water Way(app)
Discover ways of protecting-restoring our rivers & sources of drinking water
EPA - Green Infrastructure
EPA - Best Management Practices for SWM
EPA SWM
EPA National Pollutant Discharge
Homeowners Guide to Stormwater BMP Maintenance
DEP Construction SWM (booklet)
EPA Protecting Water Quality from Urban runoff
EPA How Does Your Garden Grow
Ten Things to Prevent Stormwater Runoff