About
The acronym MS4 is short for a “Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System.” From a practical perspective, it implies that a municipality, or municipal like entity, has a stormwater permit and is required by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PaDEP) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) to develop and implement a stormwater management program to reduce the contamination of stormwater runoff and prohibit illicit discharges. The program must include six minimum control measures (MCMs) related to stormwater runoff; 1) Public Education and Outreach, 2) Public Involvement and Participation, 3) Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, 4) Construction Site Runoff Control, 5) Post Construction Stormwater Management, and 6) Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping.
The MS4 partners jointly developed a comprehensive Centre Region MS4 Partners Pollutant Reduction Plan (PRP) that addresses the required Chesapeake Bay and impaired waters for nutrient and/or sediment requirements in the Spring Creek and Spruce Creek Watersheds. Because of the complexity and nuisances of the MS4 permit and its requirements, anyone proposing to reference or propose coordination with the MS4s is strongly urged to first contact your municipalities MS4 representative.
The MS4 partners have identical MS4 permits. Each MS4 Partner is required to develop its own programs; however, the Partners work cooperatively together on MCMs 1, 2, and 6 in addition to keeping stormwater ordinances similar for uniformity within the region.
One of the most important MCMs is related to public education, outreach and municipal operations are illicit discharges.