Ken Testa - Town Engineer - Ext. 279
Christine Fetten - Deputy Town Engineer - Ext. 282
Leisa Sollazzo - Administrative Assistant - Ext. 201

GENERAL INFORMATION

1. Stormwater Management Program

Stormwater is produced every time rain or snow is not absorbed directly into the soil.  Stormwater can pick up oils, litter, sediments, fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and pathogens as it travels across roads, buildings, dumpsters, lawns, and parking lots.  If this stormwater flows into lakes, streams, and bays, it can be a major source of water pollution.  It is estimated that 79 percent of the water pollution in the United States comes from stormwater and other indirect discharges that are collectively called “nonpoint” sources.

In 1972, the Federal Clean Water Act (CWA) was adopted to improve the quality of our Nation’s waters.  The Act sought to accomplish this by minimizing and eliminating what are commonly referred to as “point sources” of pollution, sources of pollution that originate from a pipe or other specific point of discharge.

The Clean Water Act was amended in 1987 to target the non-point sources of pollution.  Under Phase I of this effort, which began in 1990, municipalities having a population greater than 100,000 people were required to implement programs and projects that would reduce non-point pollution.  In 2003 this requirement was extended to almost all other municipalities including the Town of Riverhead under what is commonly referred to as “Phase II”.

In New York, Phase II requires that all regulated municipalities obtain a permit from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for the discharge of stormwater runoff into their surface waters.  As a condition of this permit, regulated municipalities must develop and implement a comprehensive stormwater management program that includes mandated programs and practices in the following six categories:

·         Public education and outreach on stormwater impacts

·         Public Participation/involvement

·         Illicit Discharge detection and elimination

·         Construction site stormwater runoff control

·         Post-Construction Stormwater management in new development/redevelopment

·         Pollution prevention/good housekeeping for municipal operations 

The Town of Riverhead has filed a Stormwater Management Plan with the NYSDEC that describes what the Town will be doing each year to meet the requirements of the Phase II stormwater management program by 2008.  We will be working on revising these documents for submission to the DEC in 2009.

2. PERMITS
   1. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation SPDES General Permit for Stormwater Discharges from CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY Permit No. GP-0-08-001
       
3. PAMPHLETS
   1. Stormwater Pamphlets
   2. Septic System
   3. New Code Chapters and Amendments for Stormwater
       
4. WEB LINKS

New York State DEC website

• New York State’s Stormwater Regulations
• New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (NYSDEC) Water Stewardship
• Information on stormwater from the NYSDEC

United States Environmental Protection Agency websites

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Non-point Pollution Source
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds

Other sources of information on stormwater management.

§         Center for Watershed Protection

§         Stormwater Manager's Resource Center

§         Nonpoint Education of Municipal Officials by New York Sea Grant

§         The Low Impact Development

§         Natural Resources Defense Council

5. POSTERS
   1. Animal Waste
   2. Lawn Fertilization
   3. Vehicle Maintenance
   4. Vehicle Cleaning

 

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