Township adopts law to prevent flooding, pollution from stormwater

New law affects development projects over one acre of land, By Angela Thies Sparta — A new law in Sparta aims to prevent the flooding and pollution that result after heavy rainfall or snow melt. The law will affect all development projects that involve over one acre of land, including subdivisions, home and commercial sites, roads, and driveways. The township council adopted the ordinance to comply with a state requirement that all municipalities develop stormwater management programs. Sparta’s new law will control development, reduce non-point source pollution, and encourage the recharge of groundwater. Non-point source pollution occurs when rainfall or snow melt picks up pollutants, such as petroleum products from roadways or pesticides from farmland, and deposits them into rivers, lakes, and even groundwater. “The stormwater regulations address not only the quantity of flow, relative to flooding, but they also address the quality of stormwater, being concerned with non-point source pollution as it impacts our surface water bodies,” said Municipal Engineer Charles Ryan. The new regulations are expected to increase building costs, but how much depends on the condition of the construction site. Excavation fees will vary greatly, depending on how much of the environment will be disturbed or whether low-impact stormwater measures can be used. Builders may have to install catch basins or filtration chambers. Well before excavation gets under way, engineers will have to put extra time into their site plans, making sure to include controls that will prevent pollutants from getting on the site or exposing pollutants to stormwater. Engineers will try to direct runoff over vegetation, a natural way to filter water, said Ryan. Plans could also call for low-maintenance landscaping that minimizes the use of lawns, fertilizers, and pesticides, which contribute to the pollution in runoff. If natural measures are not feasible, said Ryan, then engineers must include constructed mechanisms in their plans. The new ordinance will allow a developer to make stormwater improvements to a different site if they are not possible on the site under review. “Any such locations are specified in the ordinance and would be made at the discretion of the town’s planning board and council,” said Ryan. The developer would absorb all such costs, he said. Classified as a “Tier-A” community, Sparta is subject to all of the state’s stormwater management requirements. To help with the cost of implementing them, the township received two $12,000 grants from the state. Ryan said the funds were used to buy new sewer grates, draw up maps locating the outfall of water to various water bodies, mark catch basins, identify no-dumping areas, and sweep and clean drainage basins. Sparta’s management of stormwater won’t stop with the new ordinance, said Ryan. “Part of our plan, so far as internal staff goes, is to continue to look at other things we could be doing down the road to improve water quality in Sparta,” he said. “Some of that could be to generate management areas as they affect local surface areas and lakes, or around wells. We could look at septic management and fertilization. It’s evolving … we plan on looking at various things over the years.” Why stormwater management is important for township If not managed properly, stormwater runoff can harm the quality of drinking water and the quantity available. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, runoff is a major component of non-point source pollution, with estimates of up to 60 percent of existing water pollution problems attributable to these pollutants. The natural water cycle in the environment is altered by major land developments. Development usually replaces vegetation and natural soil with large areas of impenetrable surface. In addition, construction can compact the soil, further reducing water’s ability to infiltrate and recharge groundwater. If there is not enough soil or vegetation to absorb runoff, the rainwater will quickly enter local streams, rivers, and lakes, either directly from the surface or via storm sewers, carrying chemicals and other forms of non-point source pollution, and can lead to flooding during heavy rainfall. The vegetative and soil ground surface that would act as a natural filter is eliminated with constructed drainage systems, resulting in more pollution in waterways. These pollutants can come from the atmosphere, fertilizers, animal wastes, and oil and fuel leaks from vehicles, and tire wear. Stormwater management aims to slow down the water flow by increasing soil absorption, or to catch water in retention basins, addressing both runoff and flooding. If water cannot penetrate the ground, the groundwater recharge decreases, which can harm the water systems of neighboring wetlands and their plants and animals. There are also several indirect consequences, including the way in which water stored in detention or retention basins is heated in summer, sometimes raising the temperature of downstream waterways and harming cold water fish species, such as trout. When trees are removed along the banks of streams and rivers, the waterway’s ecosystem is further harmed. In 2004, the state initiated the New Jersey Municipal Stormwater Regulation Program, which regulates stormwater discharges through one of four general permits: Tier A and Tier B Municipal Stormwater General Permits, the Public Complex Stormwater General Permit, and the Highway Agency Stormwater General Permit. Each includes a number of requirements, including performance standards, goals, and implementation schedules. All New Jersey municipalities have been classified as either Tier A or Tier B, depending on total population and population density. Sparta Township is classified as Tier A. Source: www.state.nj.us/dep