Dear business owners, property owners, and facility
managers,
The Village of New Hartford is
implementing the components of our Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP) as
mandated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The
SWMP is required in our community because the Village is considered a Municipal
Separate Storm Sewer System Operator (MS4). The MS4 regulations require our
Village to ensure that the discharge from our stormwater stystem into the
waters of the State of New York meet water quality standards and doesn’t
contribute to, or cause, a water quality violation.
Stormwater runoff from your
facility which is located within the Village may be directly connected via a
privately owned collection system on your property or gravity drain from your
property into the Village’s stormwater system.
The Village is required to inform
businesses of the following best management examples that, if followed, will
ensure the stormwater runoff from your property or business will protect and
improve water quality and will prevent an illicit discharge violation. The
Village is also required to perform inspections on commercial properties to
detect and prevent illicit discharges into the Village stormwater system.
Examples of best management
practices your business is required to follow:
- Develop a “Spill Response Plan” and train your
employees on the proper procedures to follow in the event you have an
accidental spill or discharge.
- Post emergency phone numbers and report spills to
the Fire Department at 733-6666 and the DEC Hazardous Spill Reporting
Hotline at 1-800-457-7362.
- Verify that interior floor drains are connected to
the sanitary sewer system, not the storm drain system.
- Wash and degrease your vehicles at a proper facility
that disposes waste water to a sanitary sewer.
- Never wash spilled chemicals, trash, or grease into
a parking lot or into a storm drain inlet.
- Keep trash areas clean and the lids on dumpsters and
garbage containers closed.
- Clean litter and debris from sidewalks, driveways, and
parking lots, especially around storm drains. Dirt, oil, and debris that
collect in these areas can be washed into the storm sewer and eventually
will enter the Sauquoit Creek.
- Lawn care fertilizers and pesticides applied to your
landscape can ultimately run off into the stormwater system. Don’t apply
before a heavy rain and follow label instructions carefully to prevent
over-application.
- Make sure landscaping wastes such as grass clippings
and leaves are not deposited in the roadway as this debris can plug storm
drains and cause localized flooding as well as environmental concerns and
violations.
Thank you for helping keep the
stormwater runoff from the Village free from pollutants
Should you need further
information regarding stormwater regulations or wish to send a representative
from your business to a stormwater training meeting, please contact the Public
Works Garage at 315-724-0379 and the Village will sponsor a training session.
You may also visit the Village
website at www.villageofnewhartford.com and click on the stormwater link.
Sincerely,
Tom Hughes
Superintendent of Public Works
