New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has a program for the control of storm water discharges entering to the ground waters and surface waters of the United States; this program is known as the State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System or SPDES.
The Town of Conklin is required to comply with the Phase II SPDES General Permit for discharges from small municipal seperate storm sewer systems, which is known as the MS4 Storm Water Discharge permit. To operate the storm water drainage system in the most efficient and responsible manner the Town works to reduce and control the amount and type of pollutants that end up discharging into the waterways.
Stormwater runoff is the excess rain or melted snow that cannot be absorbed by the soil and flows off of roofs, across properties, parking lots, and streets. It becomes non-point source pollution when it picks up contaminants along the way such as litter, fertilizer, and car oils, and enters a storm drain system where it is transported to a waterbody. Stormwater runoff has been identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a major contributor of pollution to our watercourses, waterbodies and wetlands, and is also a concern for flooding.
Storm drains are the grate openings you see along curbs, streets and parking lots. Their purpose is to collect stormwater runoff and direct it through a conveyance system to a discharge point such as a stream or creek. A sanitary sewer, on the other hand, takes household waste water from toilets, sinks and showers and transports it to a wastewater treatment facility where the water is treated thoroughly before it is released.
The Town has developed a Storm Water Management Plan (SWMP) which includes both local laws contained in the Town code as well as other steps to reduce pollutants in daily operations. The ordinance aims to reduce the amount of pollutants which enter into storm drains and ultimately the creeks, streams and coastal waterways.
The town of Conklin is a part of the Broome-Tioga Stormwater Coalition. There are 15 designated MS4s located in the Counties of Broome and Tioga that must prepare and implement a stormwater management program to comply with state and federal stormwater regulations. These municipalities recognize that watersheds and separate sewer systems cross municipal boundaries and that collaborative efforts addressing local stormwater issues saves time, money and energy. As a result, the MS4s entered into an agreement to form the Broome-Tioga Stormwater Coalition and work together to address local stormwater issues and meet the state and federal stormwater requirements.
Town of Conklin Stormwater Management And Erosion And Sediment Control