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Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) The Berks County Collaborative Approach

Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) The Berks County Collaborative Approach. Regional and Collaborative Approaches to Water Management in Pennsylvania Conference Presenter and Co-Chair of MS4 Steering Committee Dale R. Kratzer, P.E., BC.E.E. Spotts, Stevens and McCoy, Inc.

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Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) The Berks County Collaborative Approach

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  1. Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4)The Berks County Collaborative Approach Regional and Collaborative Approaches to Water Management in Pennsylvania Conference Presenter and Co-Chair of MS4 Steering Committee Dale R. Kratzer, P.E., BC.E.E. Spotts, Stevens and McCoy, Inc. dale.kratzer@ssmgroup.com Co-Chair of MS4 Steering Committee Shannon L. Rossman Berks County Planning Commission SRossman@countyofberks.com

  2. MS4 Recap • Six Minimum Control Measures • Public Education and Outreach • Public Participation and Involvement • Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination • Construction Site Runoff Control • Post-Construction Stormwater Management • Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping at Municipal Facilities

  3. Intergovernmental Cooperation Policy Working together for a better Berks County Berks County Planning Commission

  4. Regional Planning Approach Regional Planning Agency County Act 167 Stormwater Management Plans by Watershed MS4 NPDES Phase II Act 537 Sewage Facilities Planning Water Supply Planning Comprehensive Water Resource Plan

  5. Why? • Stormwater knows no municipal borders • Water supplies know no municipal borders • Sewage needs know no municipal borders

  6. Joint Planning Efforts

  7. Urbanized Areas

  8. How We Got Started • The “environment” • Water and sewer regionalization study • Joint comp plans • Joint purchasing council • Charge to look for regionalization or cooperation, especially where the County could provide leadership • In MS4 we saw • Redundancy if each municipality alone • Opportunity to introduce ‘unified’ stormwater management • Great opportunity for intergovernmental cooperation

  9. How We Got Started Exploratory meetings • Berks County • DEP – discovered Act 167 relationship • Center for Local Government Leadership • Create steering committee

  10. How Did We Get Here? Early Work • Involve municipal engineers • Create steering committee • Purpose • Membership • Initial steering committee discussions • Education Subcommittee • Engineers’ subcommittee • Meeting and cooperation • Communication vehicle to the municipalities • Analyses of activities and costs

  11. Analyses of Activities and Costs Individual Municipality Prepare and implement the MS4 Program $39,800 Cooperative Effort Prepare and implement the MS4 Program $16,500

  12. IndividualCooperative Customize ordinances $ 4,500 $ 2,500 Prepare map 4,800 1,200 Prepare ‘in-house’ education program 1,000 300 Prepare SOP Manual 2,200 700 Prepare ‘public’ education program 1,000 1,000 Year 1 & 2 Program - implementation 3,800 0 Year 3-5 Program – Implementation 5,100 0 Prepare the MS4 NOI 2,800 1,500 Stormwater notification appliqués 2,100 1,800 Prepare yearly report without sampling data $2,500 1,500 Prepare yearly report with sampling data $15,000 0 $39,800 $16,500 Analyses of Activities and Costs Prepare and implement the MS4 Program over a 5 year period

  13. Asked for Municipal Participation . . . and the response was . . . • 45 of 47 municipalities • County itself • County Welfare Tract • County airport authority

  14. MS4 Permit Application Process • MS4 program was evolving; many questions • Someone got information, they passed it on to all • County Planning Commission staff coordinated joint submission by all participants • All permit applications of the participants delivered as one package • DEP cooperation

  15. Coordinated composite map(s) Reduced costs Coordinated, overall consistent program Similar Enforcement Ordinances Unified message Education No Conflicting Statements Reimbursement Aspects Relationship with Other Programs Coordinate with Act 167 Erosion and Sedimentation Controls In short, much more bang for the buck Anticipated Benefits

  16. Construction Site Runoff Contract Berks County Conservation District (BCCD) Developed a memorandum of understanding that effectively transferred responsibility for this from the municipality to the BCCD Control Measure No. 4

  17. Original Schedule Sacony Creek 1997 Tulpehocken Creek 2001 Maiden Creek 2004 Manatawny Creek 2006 Schuylkill River 2009 Revised Schedule due to MS4 Sacony 1997 Tulpehocken 2001 Maiden Creek 2004 Schuylkill River 2004 Manatawny Creek 2006 Berks County Act 167 Schedule

  18. Cooperative Activities • Ordinances • Training • Field Work • Obstruction data for 167 studies • Outfall data for MS4 • Public Employees • Video through Berks County Public Works Association • Next Permit Cycle • Continued coordination • Public Education • Coordinated • Consistent • Website at BCPC • Reminders

  19. Public Education(March 10, 2007 to March 9, 2008) Activities for the Reporting year March 10, 2007 to March 9, 2008 regarding Public Education and Outreach – Public Involvement and Participation, and other MCM education and outreach. • Watershed Plan advisory Committee Meetings (WPAC) All Municipal Officials, Engineers, Solicitors, Environmental Organizations May 15, 2007 (WPAC) • Berks County Environmental Advisory Council (BCEAC) • Maintains website for the sole purpose of furthering environmental education and to encourage greater participation in addressing environmental issues impacting the County of Berks www.co.berks.pa.us/eac/site/default.asp • Children’s Environmental Health network established to address environmental health issues that affect Berks County’s children and try to correct them. • Berks County Planning Commission Activities • Berks County Planning Commission May 2007, June 2007 Agenda – Act 167 Stormwater Management Plans • Maintenance of the Berks County Planning Commission’s website as the link to DEP’s website and info on MS4 and availability of e-mail for comments/questions. www.co.berks.pa.us/planning

  20. Public Education(March 10, 2007 to March 9, 2008) • Periodically place new info on website. • Send out new information and resources to all schools in the County of Berks February 2008. • Maintain a library of various information for the general public. • Obtain and disseminate info in Spanish. • E-Newsletter releases throughout year. • Implement the Conservation Zoning Incentive Program (CZIP) for the protection of the County’s natural resources. • Participate in Government week with a display on sound planning and natural resource conservation. • Hold public meeting to present Riparian Buffer Project information (August 16, 2007). • Hold public hearing on the draft “Greenway Network” to discuss natural resource preservation (12-07) Adopt Greenway, Park and Recreation Plan.

  21. Public Education(March 10, 2007 to March 9, 2008) • Berks County Commissioners – Hold public hearing on Maiden Creek, Sacony Creek Update, Schuylkill River and Swamp Creek Act 167 Plans. Adopt Plans. • Berks County Conservation Districts Executive Director, Assistant Director Environmental Educator, E&SC Specialist and Watershed Specialist Activities • Distribute “Stormwater Pollution Prevention: A Homeowner’s Guide to Keeping Our Water Clean” brochure • Earth Day – Conservation Display (4-22-07) • Stenciling storm drains – May 24, 2007, June 5 & 19, 2007 • Teacher education workshop – March 24, 2007 • Teacher education workshop – March 31, 2007 • Teacher education workshop – July 26, 2007 • Teacher education workshop – July 27, 2007

  22. Public Education(March 10, 2007 to March 9, 2008) • Teacher education workshop on NPS (non-point source pollution) – August 2, 2007 • Best Management Practices trail presentation to Master Gardeners March 22, 2007 • Best Management Practices trail presentation to Legislators – March 30, 2007 • Conservation Leadership School (6-07) • Soil and Water Stewardship Week (2007) • Conducted two interpretive classes through the County Park and Recreation Department (5-22-07, 5-30-07) • Presentations made throughout County of Berks to schools on stormwater management • NPS/stream class “Amazing Water” for Berks County Parks Dept. to 50 kids – August 8, 2007 • NPS presentation to 3 classes of 6th graders at Renewable Energy Festival

  23. Public Education(March 10, 2007 to March 9, 2008) • Conservation Class presentation to Fleetwood Middle School (Learning for Life) November 30, 2007) • Innovative Agricultural Workshop – December 10, 2007 • Crop and No-Till Conference – January 24, 2008 • Future Fest – children’s environmental education • Annual Equipment Operators Workshop (3-4-08) • Berks County Conservation District Quarterly Newsletter includes in every issue information on Watershed Associations, Stormwater and other related activities • Berks County Envirothon (21st Annual) – held for students in grades 9-12. Thirteen teams of high school students from schools throughout the County of Berks participated, April 2007 • Junior High Envirothon – 18 teams participated • Elementary Envirothon – 18 teams participated

  24. Public Education(March 10, 2007 to March 9, 2008) • Environmental Education Gold Tournament Fundraiser – October 5, 2007 • Watershed Coordination and stream clean-ups • Reading Area Water Authority & BCCD received grant funding for “Source water education for schools within the Maiden Creek Watershed”, the City of Reading’s water supply. Purchase of eVision groundwater model and other environmental equipment for middle schoolers. Classroom, field trips and lab experiments on source water protection. • BMP projects along creeks • BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES STORMWATER INTERPRETIVE TRAIL – construction began on September 24, 2007

  25. Public Education(March 10, 2007 to March 9, 2008) • The Berks County Conservation District continues to hand out the Construction Activities Brochure to all developers. • Berks County Conservancy • Riparian Buffer Plantings on various farms and streams in County of Berks • Education of farmers throughout the year on exclusion fencing, crossings, and riparian buffers • MS4 Steering Committee – Municipal Persons, Engineers; Municipal participation throughout report year through e-mail updates. • Pennsylvania Environment Council – is working with various municipalities throughout the County of Berks to develop EAC’s, Environmental Advisory Councils. Presentations on water quality impacts throughout Berks County. • Earth Day activities throughout Berks County.

  26. Public Education(March 10, 2007 to March 9, 2008) • Other initiatives • Schuylkill Action Network – disseminate information to various groups including the SANS education award program for schools. • Other municipal training • 4-8-04 BCPWA Training Municipal Employees/Officials/Engineers (Initial Presentation) this presentation has been made available on-line for continued future use and dissemination when needed. • Pennsylvania Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living Festival – September 22-23, 2007, Kempton, PA (Berks County) • Reading Eagle Newspaper Article about Best Management Practices – August 18, 2007

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