Stormwater Management
Federal storm-water management regulations require that Carbondale Township and other urbanized areas across Pennsylvania apply for and maintain a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit to discharge stormwater from the Township’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4). The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) oversees the implementation and administration of these federal regulations.
Under the MS4 Program, permittees are required to incorporate the following six elements (known as minimum control measures, or MCMs) into their stormwater management programs. Each MCM has a series of suggested best management practices (BMPs) associated with it to guide permit holders in program development, tracking, and reporting.
Minimum Control Measures
Public Education & Outreach
Public Involvement & Participation
Illicit Discharge Detection & Elimination
Construction Site Runoff Control
Post-construction stormwater management in new development and redevelopment
Pollution prevention and good housekeeping for municipal operations and maintenance
How does this affect an Individual / resident?
Responsible storm water management helps protect our local waterways from unnecessary pollutants entering to the Lackawanna River, which flows to our neighboring communities. It is important that everyone is aware of the pollutants that are harmful to our water quality.
What is an illicit discharge?
An illicit discharge is any direct or indirect non-storm water discharge to the storm drain system including any drain or conveyance, whether on the surface or subsurface, which allows an illegal discharge to enter the storm drain system. This includes but is not limited to any conveyances which allow any non-storm water discharge such as sewage, process wastewater, and wash water to enter the storm drain system and any connections to the storm drain system from indoor drains and sinks, regardless of whether the drain or connection had been previously allowed, permitted, or approved by an authorized enforcement agency.
Illicit discharges also include any drain or conveyance connected from a commercial or industrial land use to the storm drain system which has not been documented in plans, maps, or equivalent records and approved by an authorized enforcement agency.
An illicit discharge can be accidental or intentional. If you see or suspect an illicit discharge, please report the incident to Carbondale Township. Reporting should be via email to FLapka@carbondaletwp.com. For emergencies only: call North East Regional PADEP 24 Hour Hotline at (570) 826-2511 or Lackawanna County 911 at 911.
Additional Resources
Following are links to several documents with additional detail explaining the program and providing guidance with compliance.
- PaDEP – Resource Guide to the MS4 Program
- PaDEP – General FAQ’s on the MS4 Permit / Process
- PaDEP – A Homeowner’s Guide to Stormwater BMP Maintenance
- PaDEP – Be Stormwater Smart Brochure
- EPA – Make Your Home the Solution to Stormwater Pollution
- EPA – Caring for our Water is Everybody’s Business
- EPA – Stormwater and Construction Industry Poster with BMP’s
Additional MS4 Permit Information
Carbondale Township NPDES Permit PAI132281 was granted on 09/01/2020. Copies of the Township’s permit, associated documentation, inspection reports, etc are available upon request. Requests should be made via email to FLapka@carbondaletwp.com.