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Phone 518-587-3550
 
474 Broadway
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Stormwater Management Program Print E-mail
Stormwater Management and Pollution Prevention


Historically, the community of Saratoga Springs has appreciated and understood the importance of its natural water resources. In keeping with tradition, the City remains committed to preserving the integrity of its lakes, streams, wetlands, and renowned mineral springs. These diverse water resources provide residents and visitors to the Spa City with valuable recreation opportunities, tourist attractions, and open space while also supplying our daily water consumption needs.

WHAT IS AN MS4?

In March 2003, City officials began work on a comprehensive program to preserve the quality of local water resources by focusing attention on stormwater pollution prevention. This State mandated initiative, known as the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Program (MS4 for short), grew out of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (US-EPA) Federal Clean Water Act. Currently, the MS4 program is being administered by the Department of Environmental Conservation. in hundreds of municipalities throughout New York State. The City of Saratoga Springs is one of these designated MS4 municipalities.

On January 8, 2008, the City of Saratoga Springs assumed responsibility from the State to enforce MS4 regulations and implement stormwater management practices. This also holds true for (14) other Towns and Villages located here in Saratoga County. These communities have joined together as a working coalition to form the Saratoga County Inter-Municipal Storm Water Management Program whose primary purpose is to assist local governments with their stormwater management program.

WHAT DOES AN MS4 DO?

Most principles of the MS4 Program are based on the fact that stormwater runoff, either from rainfall or snowmelt, is collected, carried away and discharged to local waterways typically without any cleansing or treatment to remove pollutants. The mere fact that stormwater is not cleaned or treated before disposal is something many people find surprising not to mention concerning.

This runoff flows over paved streets, sidewalks, parking lots, building rooftops and various other impervious surfaces. Storm runoff also drains off of residential lawns, recreation fields, golf courses, and agricultural lands. Along the way this stormwater picks up common pollutants such as motor oil and antifreeze, trash and street litter, pet and livestock waste, fertilizers and pesticides, detergents and chemicals, and erosion-borne silt and sediment.

Obviously, the potential to introduce unwanted pollutants into our streams, ponds, and wetlands is prevalent. More importantly, if left unchecked, these pollutants can have detrimental impacts on overall water quality.

In Saratoga Springs, two Pollutants of Concern (POC) have been identified by the State’s Department of Environmental Conservation as having the potential to impair local waters, notably Lake Lonely and two of its’ main tributaries, Spring Run and Bog Meadow Brook. Phosphorus is one of these POC’s and is believed to stem from the prolific use of lawn and plant fertilizers which contain this excess nutrient. The other pollutant is waterborne pathogens, namely fecal coliform, which typically originate from leaking sewer pipes or illicit connections, faulty septic systems, and even pet and livestock waste.

One of the main goals of the City’s Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP) is to focus attention on POC’s in an effort to reduce (or eliminate) their prevalence and subsequent impact on local waterbodies.

Raising public awareness to the problems associated with high concentrations of phosphorus in our waterways is critical to reversing this trend, especially considering phosphorus is naturally plentiful in most soils and doesn’t need to be added to achieve lush, green growth.

The battle against pathogenic contamination of stormwater, the other POC, is being spearheaded by improved management and monitoring of the municipal sanitary and storm sewer systems. In accordance the City has implemented an Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE) Program designed to identify, repair, and prevent problems associated with stormwater pollution.

To manage and monitor the actual quality of stormwater being discharged from storm pipes throughout Saratoga Springs, every outfall under the City’s jurisdiction has been inventoried and its vital characteristics recorded. The location of each of these discharge points appears on the Stormwater Outfall Location Map. Besides identifying the outfalls, the map helps to define drainage areas and assess other factors that could impact water quality. Additionally, these outfalls are routinely inspected by a qualified field technician to insure the stormwater being discharged is clean and safe.

As noted earlier, the City administers a comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan designed to address a wide array of stormwater pollution issues and concerns. The core of this Plan centers around (6) Minimum Control Measures (MCM) that are intended to reduce “non-point” sources of stormwater pollution through education, regulation, and advanced management practices. The following is a brief description of each MCM including objectives as well as steps that have been taken to meet these goals:

The success of the SWMP relies in large part on the diligence and efforts of public officials and employees in their respective duties as a governing entity and municipal operation. Success, however, also requires that the residents of Saratoga Springs along with the business community, particularly the development and construction industry, become genuinely and actively engaged in protecting our local water resources.

Minimum Control Measure 1 – Public Education and Outreach
Educating the general public about the impacts of pollutants on stormwater quality is essential to establish community based support and a better understanding of the City’s Stormwater Management Plan. This can readily be achieved by providing information in the form of written materials and by conducting educational workshops and meetings.

At the offices of the City Engineer and Department of Public Works individuals can find various pamphlets and printed material offering extensive information about MS4 regulations and stormwater pollution prevention in general. This information intended for the community at large but also targets commercial businesses with an emphasis on the building trades. Pamphlets have also been made available at venues such as the Farmers Market, the Visitors Center, and the Saratoga Springs Environmental Expo.

And if you haven’t already noticed, there is a special section on each utility bill mailed to City residents four times a year that provides simple tips on ways homeowners can help prevent stormwater pollution.


Minimum Control Measure 2 – Public Participation and Involvement
Public participation helps to establish crucial working partnerships between local government and the residents of City of Saratoga Springs. It provides opportunities for public and private participation in stormwater related activities and offers representation at meetings and other public gatherings.

The public is welcome anytime to comment on the Stormwater Management Plan and is specifically invited to do so during presentation of the MS4 Annual Report to the City Council each spring. Public comment and suggestions are also welcome by phone, email or in person by contacting the Stormwater Management Coordinator

Stormwater professionals have also spoken at the Saratoga Springs Public Library and the County Cooperative Extension Building in Ballston Spa where the public is invited to learn more about the issues and have their concerns addressed.

A great example of hands-on participation is the ongoing campaign to install “Don’t Pollute” decals on storm drains located downtown and in other areas that experience heavy foot traffic. This effort continues to be made possible thanks to the help of students at the Waldorf High School.

Minimum Control Measure 3 – Illicit Discharge Detection & Elimination
The Department of Public Works administers an IDDE Program which is designed to detect and eliminate polluted discharges to the storm sewer system. These illicit discharges are prohibited and lawfully enforceable by Local Law #9 of 2007 of the City Code. The program also incorporates extensive mapping and monitoring of the municipal sewer systems including outfalls that discharge to public waters of the State.

Public Works employees routinely inspect and monitor the storm sewer system which includes hundreds of miles of pipe and thousands of storm drains. Accordingly, the City has invested in equipment specifically designed to detect and identify illicit discharges. Stormwater samples from different parts of the sewer system are also collected and tested for coliform which if detected is traced to the source and the problem quickly remediated.


Minimum Control Measure 4 – Construction Site Runoff Control
This basically calls for the establishment, implementation, and enforcement of an erosion control program for land development based on the acreage of land being disturbed. It includes revising or adopting local rules to reduce sediment-laden runoff (and other pollutants) from reaching the storm sewer system or from being discharged directly to a natural waterbody.

The City’s Zoning, Subdivision, and Site Plan Review Laws have been amended such that they contain regulatory mechanisms designed to reduce stormwater pollutants resulting from land development. These provisions have been established by Local Law #1 of 2008 of the City Code.

For any building project exceeding the specified size limit (in acres), the City Engineer requires a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) be prepared by a certified professional or licensed engineer. Routine site inspections during the construction phase must also be performed and documented by the owner. The City Engineer also requires the project manager and/or general contractor(s) to attend a pre-construction meeting to insure they understand the pollution prevention requirements.

Minimum Control Measure 5 – Post-Construction Runoff Control
Post-construction stormwater controls, designed to reduce the discharge of pollutants after a building project is complete, are also required to be part of a projects Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP).

Since the rate of stormwater runoff is significantly greater on developed land than undeveloped land, permanent Stormwater Management Practices (SMP) such as ponds, wetlands, grass swales, and/or infiltrators must be incorporated into the project’s design. The primary purpose of these SMP’s is to reduce the export of stormwater away from a developed site by recycling stormwater back into the ground at the project site itself.

Minimum Control Measure 6 – Pollution Prevention & Good Housekeeping
This measure is meant to protect and improve the quality of stormwater discharged from municipally owned sewer systems, facilities, and other operations. It requires the MS4 operator, in this case the City of Saratoga Springs, to establish a Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping Program focusing on its own infrastructure and activities. In doing so the City has performed a thorough evaluation of its various departments to identify and eliminate potential stormwater pollutants.

Employee training and education remains a key component of this program. In-house training sessions for Public Works field personnel take place annually. Workers are familiarized with various concepts of stormwater management and instructed on how to reduce pollutants by modifying normal routines and procedures. Additional training and information is provided to supervisors and foremen to insure workers and activities do not pose a threat for stormwater pollution.

In addition to Public Works personnel, City employed building inspectors, code enforcement officers, and engineering staff also receive similar training.

WHO’S INVOLVED IN THE MS4?

Here in Saratoga Springs, the Engineers Office and the Department of Public Works share responsibility for administering the City’s Stormwater Management Plan. To gauge the effectiveness of the Plan, an Annual Report is prepared each spring which identifies achievements and evaluates overall success in terms of meeting the Minimum Control Measures described above. The Annual Report is presented to the City Council at which time the public is encouraged to review the document and submit their comments.

City Council has also played an active role by adopting local legislation tailored to the prevention of stormwater pollution. For example, Local Law No.9 of 2007 was added to the City Code and is intended to prohibit discharges to the storm sewer system which could jeopardize stormwater quality. In similar fashion, Local Law No. 1 of 2008 was enacted requiring the construction industry to install controls to reduce soil erosion and limit runoff from building sites that contain sediment and other pollutants.

Perhaps the most important key to success, however, lies outside the doors of City Hall. Homeowners and tourists, employers and employees, students and teachers, business owners and their patrons… each individual must act responsibly in order to achieve and sustain a reduction in stormwater pollutants. It can be as simple as picking up a piece of street litter, cleaning up after your pet, using phosphorus-free fertilizers, or organizing a clean-up day along a shoreline or stream bank.

Only through a collaborative public and private effort will our local waters be able to carry on the legacy of Saratoga Springs.

HOW DOES THIS AFFECT ME?

As a designated MS4 municipality, Saratoga Springs officials have taken on the complex and challenging task of changing attitudes toward something most people don’t consider very important – stormwater. In many instances, people simply don’t realize that the stormwater dropping into a street drain or flowing along a roadside ditch will eventually end up in a stream we like to fish or a lake we enjoy swimming in or boating on.

Simply realizing the inherent value in the natural water resources found throughout our City can have a tremendous affect on the way people think and act when it comes to preventing pollution. As citizens of Saratoga Springs, clean water depends on all of us.

The Engineers Office and the Department of Public Works would like to thank you for taking time to learn more about our efforts…your comments and suggestions are always welcome. Also please remember to check the Upcoming Events link for a chance to learn and get involved. And finally, if you see or know of a stormwater problem here in Saratoga Springs, contact us through our Stormwater Pollution Hotline. These and other links can all be found at the start of this webpage.