At the September 14, 2022, Newtown Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting, supervisors authorized the advertisement of a Stormwater Management Ordinance Update to meet DEP MS4 requirements.
MS4 stands for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System. MS4s are conveyances or systems of conveyances including roads with drainage systems, municipal streets, catch basins, curbs, gutters, ditches, man-made channels, or storm drains that are owned or operated by a public entity, are designed or used for collecting or conveying StormWater Definition, and are not a combined sewer or part of a publicly owned treatment works.
Find the ordinance here: https://bit.ly/StormWaterOrd
Some quick takeaways from a Newtown expert (personal communication):
- I expect that since the MS4 requires meadows and native plants, and specific mowing times o avoid invasives getting hold, that the current specifications for different types of turf grass would no longer be appropriate requirements for MS4. There are different runoff formulas for each; native grasses slow stormwater better and provide deeper roots for rainwater filtration into the ground water.
- The new ordinance goes much further, which is great. Essentially, there should beLow Impact Development (LID) practices incorporated into stormwater systems. LID a system that further combines green infrastructure and engineering. Basically, more methods need be incorporated to prevent erosion and flooding by slowing down rainwater and getting it to infiltrate on site, rather than channeling it willy-nilly into streams. In the case of MS4, we already have impaired streams. Examples of GI/LID practices in addition to rain gardens and vegetate swales are pervious pavements, green roofs
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The Lower Dolington Road Trail project originally included rain gardens but this plan was rejected by the Bucks County Conservation District. It now relates on underground “infiltration tranches” to manage stormwater runoff.
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