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Stormwater Management Program

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Stormwater is generally defined as water from rain or snow/ice melt that flows across the ground and paved surfaces. This stormwater may soak into the ground, or eventually make its way to local streams or sinkholes, affecting the quality of water for aquatic life, recreation, and drinking water supplies.

Ferguson Township has a Stormwater Management Program that has been implemented to convey, treat, and monitor this stormwater. The Stormwater Management Program has multiple components, and is regulated by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) through the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Program. Through this program, Ferguson Township is issued a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for stormwater discharges in the urbanized area MS4 System Map. The permit is issued for a 5-year period. The current permit is for the period from 2020 - 2025.

The following six Minimum Control Measures (MCMs) are required as part of the permit:

  1. Public Education and Outreach
  2. Public Involvement / Participation
  3. Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDD&E)
  4. Construction Site Stormwater Runoff Control
  5. Post Construction Stormwater Runoff for New Development
  6. Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping

Ferguson Township relies on the Centre County Conservation District (CCCD) as an extension of DEP for administering all of the Construction Site Stormwater Runoff Control, and a portion of the Post Construction Stormwater Runoff for New Development. All of the activities performed by the Township on the remaining MCMs are identified in the Township's MS4 Stormwater Management Program.

Some of the activities related to outreach and education accomplished under the MS4 permit requirements are done in cooperation with other MS4 permit holders in the Centre Region. The MS4 permit holders also contract as a group with ClearWater Conservancy to perform some of the activities.

As required by our current MS4 permit, Ferguson Township has prepared a Pollution Reduction Plan (PRP). This plan has been approved by DEP and has been incorporated into our current MS4 permit. The PRP was prepared in cooperation with the other Centre Region MS4 Partners.  The PRP provides suggested projects to be constructed by Ferguson Township within each of the watersheds to help reduce pollutants headed for the Chesapeake Bay and any impaired waterways.  These projects need to be designed, permitted, and constructed within the 5 year permit period (2020-2025).

At its Regular Meeting on Monday, June 6, 2016, the Board of Supervisors adopted an amendment to the Stormwater Management Ordinance to comply with certain items required by DEP. This new ordinance supersedes the previous ordinance in its entirety. 

ClearWater Conservancy presents "Preserving Fabled Waters: Restoration Efforts in the Spruce Creek Watershed"

The Ferguson Township Board of Supervisors is pleased to sponsor the C-NET broadcast of "Preserving Fabled Waters: Restoration Efforts in the Spruce Creek Watershed." Click below to view this informative video on the efforts of ClearWater Conservancy to restore this valuable watershed.

Ferguson Township Public Education and Outreach Archive

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