The Pennsylvania Environmental Council-published pamphlet “MAINTAINING STORMWATER BASINS on Your Property ” is now available for download through StormwaterPA.

The guide is intended to help residents, businesses, and other individuals perform routine inspection and maintenance activities to ensure stormwater management basins on private property are in good shape and functioning properly.

If there is a stormwater basin on a residential or commercial property you own, either individually or under common ownership, it may be your responsibility, as the property owner, to regularly inspect the basin and perform periodic maintenance. When basins are not maintained, they will fall into disrepair, which can lead to severe flooding and pollution of creeks and streams.

The publication is provided to help the non-engineer understand basic inspection procedures, and includes tips for improving basin performance and appearance.

Most stormwater basins in Pennsylvania are privately owned; as such, individual property owners are responsible for operation and maintenance.

If there is uncertainty about the ownership of a basin on or near your property, contact your municipality to verify ownership and maintenance obligations.

If there is uncertainty about basin design or function, if damage or malfunctions are observed, or in the event a more in-depth inspection or assessment is needed, the owner should secure the professional services of a licensed professional engineer.

Most stormwater basins in Pennsylvania were designed as dry detention basins. This publication focuses on inspection and maintenance only of dry detention basins, or “dry ponds.”

Download the Pamphlet here.

admin Stormwater BMPs basin inspection, BMP Maintenance, dry detention basin, dry pond, flood control, Nonpoint source pollution, stormwater basin, stormwater best management practices, stormwater runoff, volume control, water quality

Stormwater BMP Maintenance Practices

Regular maintenance of stormwater facilities is necessary to save time and expense in the long term, and to ensure that the facilities are working as designed.  Maintenance programs for various stormwater management facilities and products are discussed in this article by William Atkinson in the current issue of the Stormwater Journal.  Products that are discussed include: StormFilter; Stormceptor; HydroKleen; Drain Guard; and cleaning equipment. Read the full article here

Refer also to Chapter 6 of the Stormwater BMP Manual for maintenance considerations for Structural BMPs. You can download a pdf of the complete text of Chapter 6 here.

Challenges of Stream Restoration as a Stormwater Management Tool

The first article of this series dealt with stream restoration as a valuable watershed management practice. The second article discussed construction issues. This final article combines these perspectives and ties them together through a lessons-learned perspective. Read the full article here

Riparian and Wetland Buffers for Water Quality Protection

A compelling review of 137 published scientific papers written over the last 40 years on riparian and wetland buffer widths, and on the subject of providing “ecosystem services” such as: temperature control; streambank stability and sediment control; minimization of direct human impact; removal of total suspended solids; maintaining surface water supply and quality; nitrogen removal; phosphorus removal; removal of pesticides; removal of bacteria; and removal of metals.   The authors conclude that vegetated buffers “provide substantial benefits for protecting and enhancing water quality. For streambank stability, temperature control, minimizing degradation from direct impacts, and pollutant removal capacities, substantial benefits are achieved within the first 50 feet of vegetated buffer width. Marginal increases in benefits may accrue when buffer widths are increased beyond 50 feet”.  Read the full article here

The PA Stormwater BMP Manual also provides data on ecosystem services.  Appendix A for Pollutant Event Mean Concentrations by Land Cover and BMP Pollutant Removal Efficiencies. Download a pdf of Appendix A here.

Rain Garden Design Templates from the Low Impact Development Center

Looking for planting plans for rain gardens in the Piedmont or Mountain regions of Pennsylvania?  The Low Impact Development Center provides dozens of Rain Garden Design Templates for a range of conditions that can be used “as is”, or modified to suit specific needs.  The designs are colorfully  illustrated and can be found here.

Homeowners and others can also find a step-by-step guide to design, build, plant and maintain a rain garden. Download a pdf  How-To Manual for Homeowners here .

Also, see also Appendix B of the PA Stormwater BMP Manual for a list of plant species native to Pennsylvania that are suitable for use in any number of BMPs.

admin Stormwater BMPs BMP Maintenance, BMPs, buffers, ecosystem services, native plants, PA BMP Manual, rain garden, stormwater best management practices, stream restoration, vegetated buffer, watershed protection, wetlands