Stormwater Information
In effort to reduce stormwater pollution, and improve local water quality, Warwick Township must develop, implement, and enforce a Stormwater Management Program (SWMP). This task is required by the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, issued through the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) & the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). The NPDES permit regulates stormwater discharges from the Township’s municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4): a series of inlets, pipes, swales, outfalls, and other drainage facilities that collect, convey, and discharge stormwater directly into our streams.
As part of the NPDES permit requirements, Warwick Township must implement best management practices (BMPs) in the six categories listed below and commonly referred to as minimum control measures (MCMs).
MCM 1: Public Education & Outreach
MCM 2: Public Participation & Involvement
MCM 3: Illicit Discharge Detection & Elimination
MCM 4: Construction Site Runoff Control
MCM 5: Post Construction Stormwater Management
MCM 6: Pollution Prevention & Good Housekeeping
Your Responsibility as a Homeowner in Warwick Township:
If you have a storm water management facility, such as a swale, basin, inlet, or outlet structure, most likely, you are responsible for maintenance of the facility. This could include simply mowing these areas and keeping them free from structures, to making sure the rip rap (dispersing rocks) is replaced as needed, that pipes are not clogged, or possibly replacing malfunctioning facilities. Warwick Township staff inspects inlets and outfalls annually. If a maintenance issue arises, a notice is mailed to the property owner identifying the problem and providing recommendations to correct the issue.
Homeowner Stormwater Facility Inspections Forms:
- Bio-Retention Facilities Vegetated Swales and Higher Rate
- Detention Basins
- Drain Inserts and Trash Racks
- Hydrodynamic Separator Systems
- Infiltration Devices
- Media Filters and Higher Rate Media Filters
- Non-Standard Treatment Control BMPs
- Wet Ponds and Constructed Wetlands
Warwick Township Stormwater Information:
- Stormwater Management Design Assistance Manual for Small Projects
- Homeowner's Guide Best Management Practices Operations & Maintenance
- Warwick Township bio-basin
- Backyard Conservation Booklet
- Critical Aquifer Recharge Areas Map
- Pervious Concrete Article
- Lancaster County Strategic Water Resource Plan Update
- Illicit Discharge Complaint Form
- Pathogens Fact Sheet
Warwick Township in conjunction with PA Department of Environmental Protection is making the brochure "When it Rains, It Drains" available for download on its website. This brochure explains stormwater runoff, and what you can do to improve the water quality in our area.
The following agency links provide additional stormwater information:
- PA Department of Environmental Protection "Stormwater Management" webpage.
- US Environmental Protection Agency's publication "Using Smart Growth Techniques as Stormwater Best Management Practices"
- Sinkholes
- Lancaster County Conservation Publication "The Homeowner's Guide to Stormwater"