Municipal Responsibility

The stormwater requirements of the federal Clean Water Act are administered under the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Program. In December 2002, DEP issued a General Permit (PAG-13) for use by MS4s that fall under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase II program, requiring the implementation of a stormwater management program for minimizing the impacts from runoff.

Lower Macungie Township holds an Individual Permit; individual NPDES permits must be submitted by a small MS4 when the MS4 does not meet one or more of the eligibility criteria of the PAG-13 General Permit. The Individual Permit carries the same general parameters as the General Permit, but with different timeline requirements.

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:

  • MCM 1: Public Education and Outreach on Stormwater Impacts
  • MCM 2: Public Involvement and Participation
  • MCM 3: Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
  • MCM 4: Construction Site Runoff Control
  • MCM 5: Post-Construction Stormwater Management in New Development and Redevelopment
  • MCM 6: Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations and Maintenance

Minimum Control Measures

  1. MCM 1
  2. MCM 2
  3. MCM 3
  4. MCM 4
  5. MCM 5
  6. MCM 6

MCM 1: Public Education & Outreach on Stormwater Impacts

MCM 1 requires the permittee to develop, implement and maintain a written Public Education and Outreach Program. The purpose of the program is to educate residents, property owners, businesses, developers, and municipal staff through:

  • Public meetings
  • Municipality-hosted events
  • Newsletters
  • Pamphlets
  • Posters
  • Presentations
  • Storm drain stencilings
  • Employee trainings
  • The township webpage dedicated to stormwater management

The goal of the program is to increase the awareness of stormwater impacts and management and to prevent or reduce stormwater pollution.