Officials detail future of Pike stormwater planning

DINGMAN — Stormwater management is a major problem for this fast growing township, according to county officials. At the last meeting of the Dingman Township Supervisors Susan Beecher of Pike County Conversation District (PCCD) and Sally Corrigan of Pike County Office of Community Planning (PCOCP) presented Phase 1 of a report on plans for stormwater management in Pike County. “We just completed about a year’s worth of work on Phase 1. We have been working closely with Township Sewage Enforcement Officer Chris Wood who has provided us with necessary input and comments on the report I have just given you,” Beecher said. This project started during the summer of last year working with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and engineering consultants. Phase 1 gathered data to develop the scope of work that will be accomplished in Phase 2, Corrigan explained. A watershed advisory committee consisting of local municipalities was set up and asked to complete a questionnaire formulated by our consultants. Chris Wood had completed the questionnaire for Dingman Township. All the answers were compiled and used to prepare the report, which went to DEP for approval. Phase 2 will identify problem areas in the county such as obstructions or areas where flooding might occur in order to begin an in depth study on how to prevent future problems and correct current problems. The Raymondskill Watershed area was a model. The resulting data will be used to improve stormwater management in the county. “We want to remind everybody why we are doing this. As the county continues to grow stormwater problems grow also. When new homes are built the ground the home is built on and the paved driveway which is built become impervious to water runoff. This causes many new problems such as flooding and the water now has to find fresh areas to travel. This creates problems for private as well as public infrastructure,” Beecher told the supervisors. Is it mandatory and who will pay? Munciplalities will have to consider updating existing ordinances. Drinking water as well as stream base flows are impacted. Building problems that didn’t affect ground water runoff before exist now. The plan will focus on capturing pollutants, preserving drinking water and keeping the land healthy, she said. There are many ordinances already concerning stormwater runoff and the plan will be to bring municipal ordinances closer to what is actually needed. It will be necessary to find a way to manage stormwater so it will not become a problem in the future. Model ordinances will be created to help guide public officials along these lines. Town Solicitor John Klemeyer was concerned as to whether the township will have to follow the ordinances. “This is just a plan at this time,” Beecher replied Corrigan detaled a time line for the project and a list of problem sites were at the back of the report. She also reported that there is currently a law that requires municipalities to do stormwater management. “If the state is requiring municipalities to adapt to these new regulations is there state money out there for this purpose?” asked Klemeyer. Corrigan told him they are going to look at where funding may be available. “There is money available from the Growing Greener Funding but no other funding sources are currently earmarked for this purpose,” she said. “What may work for one municipality may not work for another. Will the plan be flexible so the plan can be tailored to work this way?” asked Mincer. Beecher assured him that there will be flexibility.