Stormwater Management & Flood Control

• Public Education and Outreach – Educate and outreach to inform citizens about the impacts that stormwater runoff has on water quality.
• Public Participation/Involvement – Provide opportunities for citizens to participate in the stormwater management program or other programs which improve water quality.
• Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination – Develop and implement a plan to detect and eliminate non-stormwater discharges into the stormwater system.
• Construction Site Runoff Control – Develop, implement and enforce an erosion and sediment control program for construction site activities that disturb 1 acre or greater.
• Post-Construction Runoff Control – Develop, implement, and enforce a program that addresses post-construction stormwater runoff from new development or redevelopment sites.
• Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping – Develop and implement a program that reduces or prevents pollutant runoff from municipal operations.

Why is stormwater management so important? Stormwater becomes a problem when it picks up debris, chemicals, dirt, and other pollutants before it flows into waterways, when it causes flooding, or when it causes erosion of stream banks.  In Richland, the main source of drinking water is its local waterways, and untreated or uncontrolled stormwater runoff is the primary cause of pollution/impairment to local waterways.  MS4s, or Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems, are complex drainage systems that include streets, catch basins, curbs, gutters, ponds, ditches, channels, and pipes owned by a state, county, city, town, township, borough, or other public entity.