Printable Youth Stormwater Education Coloring Page: Color Finn – Spring 2021 Stormwater Education
Neville Township’s MUNICIPAL SEPARATE STORM SEWER SYSTEM (MS4) Program
As required by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Neville Township obtains and maintains a MS4 Permit that regulates the discharge of stormwater into the waters of the Commonwealth, including the Ohio River. The MS4 permit includes storm sewers, catch basins, inlets, pipes, swales, ponds and all systems that collect, convey or manage stormwater.
Stormwater is simply rain that hits the ground and is either absorbed into the ground to replenish ground water sources or that runs off into public streets. Stormwater travels the streets and makes its way into the storm drains and pipes that carry the water to our local streams and rivers.
As stormwater travels our streets, it picks up oil, anti-freeze, detergents, paints and other harmful pollutants. Trash, dirt, grass and other debris travels with the rainwater into the streams and rivers that are our sources for drinking water and recreation.
To protect the health and safety of all those who use and enjoy our waterways, residents and businesses must do the following:
- Never dump anything besides stormwater into a storm drain, inlet, pipe or stream. Dumping is considered an “Illicit Discharge” and is a violation of Township Ordinance.
- Pick-up your pet waste immediately and dispose of it properly. Pet waste is not permitted in streets, storm drains, inlets, catch basins, pipes or streams or rivers.
- Wash water from vehicles is not permitted to enter the street or storm drains. Wash vehicles in lawn or gravel areas or at a commercial car wash.
- Pick-up litter, garbage, dirt, concrete or construction dust and all debris from yards, sidewalks and driveways so that it is not washed into the streets and storm drains.
- Recycle or properly dispose of all hazardous chemicals, including paints, used oil and chemicals.
- Use pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, and even road salt properly to prevent excess runoff.
If you witness an Illicit Discharge, report the violation to Neville Township at 412-264-1977.
More information on the Township’s storm water management program is available by contacting the Township.
Glossary of Storm Water Terminology
Authorized Non-Storm Water Discharges: Authorized non-storm water discharges are certain categories of discharges that are not composed of storm water but are not found to pose a threat to water quality. They include: water line flushing; landscape irrigation; diverted stream flows; rising ground waters; uncontaminated ground water infiltration (as defined at 40 CFR §35.2005(20)) to separate storm sewers; uncontaminated pumped ground water; discharges from potable water sources; foundation drains; air conditioning condensate; irrigation water that is not reclaimed treated wastewater; springs; water from crawl space pumps; footing drains; lawn watering that is not reclaimed treated wastewater; individual residential car washing; flows from riparian habitats and wetlands dechlorinated swimming pool discharges; and discharges or flows from emergency fire fighting activities. If any of the above authorized non-storm water discharges (except flows from fire fighting activities) are found to cause or contribute to an exceedance of water quality standards or cause or threaten to cause a condition of nuisance or pollution, the category of discharge must be prohibited.
BMP (Best Management Practice): Permit condition used in place of or in conjunction with effluent limitations to prevent or control the dicharge of pollutants. May include schedule of activities, prohibition of practices, maintenance procedure, or other management practice. BMPs may include, but are not limited to, treatment requirements, operating procedures, or practices to control plant site runoff, spillage, leaks, sludge or waste disposal, or drainage from raw material storage.
Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO): A discharge of untreated wastewater from a combined sewer system at a point prior to the headworks of a publicly owned treatment works. CSOs generally occur during wet weather (rainfall or snowmelt). During period of wet weather, these systems become overloaded, by pass treatment works, and discharge directly to receiving waters.
Combined Sewer System (CSS): A wastewater collection system with conveys sanitary wastewaters (domestic, commercial, and industrial wastewaters) and storm water through a single pipe to a publicly owned treatment works for treatment prior to a discharge to surface waters,
Design Storm: A theoretical storm event with pre-determined parameters of a given return period, such as a 2-Year Storm, a 5-Year Storm, a 100-Year Storm. A 2-Year Design Storm, for example, is a storm of a magnitude that it would be expected to occur once every two years.
Detention Facility: A surface impoundment (pond) or underground tank used to capture and detain (store) wet weather runoff, releasing it at a regulated, reduced rate to minimize downstream flooding.
Effluent Limitation: Any restriction imposed by the Director on quantities, discharge rates, and concentrations of pollutants which are discharged from point sources into waters of the United States, the waters of the contiguous zone, or the ocean.
EMA: Federal Emergency Management Agency
Flood Plain: An area that becomes inundated with water in the event of a flood. (i.e. a 100 year flood plain is an area that becomes flooded when a 100 year storm occurs)
EPA (or USEPA): United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Foundation Drain: A drainpipe, typically a perforated pipe, laid under or next to a building footer to drain the surrounding soil. Foundation drains, being the lowest pipe in the building, are often tapped into the sanitary sewer lateral.
General Permit: An NPDES permit issued under 40 CFR 122.28 that authorizes a category of discharges under the CWA within a geographical area. A general permit is not specifically tailored for an individual discharger.
Geographic Information System (GIS): A surveying method that uses a set of 24 satellites on position high above the earth. Specially designed GPS receivers, when positioned at a point on the Earth’s surface, can measure the distance from that point to three or more satellites to an accuracy level within several millimeters.
Hydraulic Capacity: The flow capacity of a sewer flowing full, usually expressed in gallons per day (GPD) or million gallons per day (MGD).
Infiltration: Excess groundwater that gets into the sewer system through open joints, cracks and breaks in the pipes and manhole walls. Also the process of surface water being absorbed into the ground by percolation.
Impervious: A description of a material that means it does not allow liquids to flow through it.
Long-Term (CSO) Control Plan: A plan to reduce CSOs consisting of three major steps: system characterization; development and evaluation of alternatives, and selection and implementation of long-term controls.
Manhole: A vertical structure intended to allow access to the sewer system for cleaning and maintenance. By state regulation, a manhole must be provided at every change in alignment or slope, and a maximum spacing of 400 feet between manholes.
Maximum Extent Practicable (MEP): MEP is the acronym for Maximum Extend Practicable. MEP is the technology-based standard established by Congress in CWA section 402(p)(3)(B)(iii) that municipal discharges of storm water must achieve. MEP is generally a result of emphasizing pollution prevention and source control best management practices (BMPs) primarily (as the first line of defense) in a combination with treatment methods serving as a backup (additional line of defense). The MEP approach is am ever evolving, flexible and advancing concept, which considers technical and economic feasibility. As knowledge about controlling urban runoff continues to evolve, so does that wish constitutes MEP. The way in which MEP is met varies between communities. The individual and collective activities elucidated in their Storm Water Management Program becomes their proposal for reducing or eliminating pollutants in storm water to the MEP.
Measurable Goal: Measurable goals or Performance Standards, are definable tasks or accomplishments that are associated with implementing best management practices.
Minimum Control Measure: A minimum control measure is a storm water program area that must be addressed (best management practices implemented to accomplish the program goal) by all regulated Small MS4s. The following six minimum control measures are required to be addressed by the regulated Small MS4s: Public Education and Outreach on Storm Water Impacts, Public Involvement/Participation, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Construction Site Storm Water Runoff Control, post-Construction Storm Water Management in New Development and Redevelopment, and Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations.
Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (Small MS4): Means a conveyance or system of conveyances (including road with drainage systems, municipal streets, catch basins, curbs, gutters, ditches, main-made channels, or storm drains) that are:
- Owned or operated by the United States, a State, city town, borough, county, parish, district, association, or other public body (created by or pursuant to State law) having jurisdiction over disposal of sewage, industrial wastes, storm water, or other wastes, including special districts under State law such as a sewer district, flood control district or drainage district, or similar entity, or an Indian tribe or an authorized Indian tribal organization, or designated and approved management agency under section 208 of the CWA that discharges to waters of the United States.
- Not defined as “large” or “medium” municipal separate storm sewer systems
- This term includes systems similar to separate storm sewer systems in municipalities, such as systems at military bases, large hospital or prison complexes, and highways and other thoroughfares. The term does not include separate storm sewers in very discrete areas, such as individual buildings.
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES): The national program for issuing, modifying, revoking and reissuing, terminating, monitoring and enforcing permits, and imposing and enforcing maltreatment requirements, under sections 307, 318, 402, and 405 of CWA.
Nine Minimum Controls: Operational and structural controls that can reduce CSOs and their effects on receiving water quality, do not require significant engineering studies or major construction, and can be implemented in a relatively short period.
Notice of Intent (NOI): Once this is subitted for a NPDES Permit you can assume coverage under thepermit being applied for until a letter confirming coverage is recieved from the permitting authority.
Outfall: 40 CFR 122.26(b)(9) defined outfall as a point source at the point where a municipal separate storm sewer discharges to waters of the United States and does not include open conveyances connecting two municipal separate storm sewers, or pipes, tunnels or other conveyances which connect segments of the same stream or other waters of the United States and are used to convey waters of the United States.
PADEP: Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Point Source: Any discernible, confined, and discrete conveyance, including but not limited to any pipe, ditch, channel, tunnel, conduit, well discrete fixture, container, rolling stock, concentrated animal feeding operation, landfill leachate collection system, vessel, or other floating craft from which pollutants are or may be discharge.
Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO): Untreated or partially treated sewage overflows from a sanitary sewer collection system.
Sanitary Sewer System: A sewer system intend to only carry wastewater. 57 of the 83 ALCOSAN communities have sanitary sewer systems.
Separate Sewer System: A sewer system utilizing both storm sewers to convey storm water and sanitary sewers to carry wastewater.
Sewerhead: A distinct and separate drainage network of sewers serving a specific area, typically an entire watershed or portions thereof.
Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Code: A code of number system used to identify various types of industries. The code of numbers are published by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC 20402. A particular industry may have more than one SIC code if it conducts several types of commercial or manufacturing activities on site.
Storm Water: Drainage runoff from the surface of the land resulting from precipitation, snow, or ice melt.
Storage Facility: An underground tank used to capture and store wet weather flows until they can be released back into the system at a regulated rate, preventing overflows.
3 Rivers Wet Weather Demonstration Program (3RWWDP): A non-profit organization, funded by Federal, State and local resources, and in-kind services from the partnership of the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) and the Allegheny County Health Department.
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL): The amount of pollutant, or property, from point, nonpoint, and natural background sources, that may be discharged to a water quality limited receiving water. Any pollutant loading above the TMDL results in violation of applicable water quality standards.
Treatment Facility (Swirl Concentrator): This structure provides primary treatment by creating a vortex, forcing solids to the center where they proceed to the treatment plant. The remaining water is discharges into a receiving body. EPA has determined swirl concentrators as satisfactory primary treatment for Combined Sewer Overflows.
Water Quality Criteria: Comprised of numeric and narrative criteria. Numeric criteria are scientifically derived ambient concentrations developed by EPA or states for various pollutants of concern to protect human health and aquatic life. Narrative criteria are statements that describe the desired water quality goal.
Water Quality Standards (WQS): A law or regulation that consists of the beneficial use or uses of a waterbody, the numeric or narrative water criteria that are necessary to protect the use or uses of that particular waterbody and an anti-degeneration statement.
Watershed: The entire region or area drained by a river or other body of water, whether natural or artificial.
Glossary terms and definitions from Gateway Engineering, Inc.