Full Notification

Background of MS4 Program
Polluted stormwater runoff is often transported to Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s) and ultimately discharged into local streams and rivers without treatment. EPA’s Stormwater Phase II Rule established an MS4 stormwater management program with the intention of improving the Nation’s waterways by reducing the quantity of pollutants that stormwater picks up and carries into storm sewer systems during storm events. Common pollutants include oil and grease from roadways, pesticides from lawns, sediment from construction sites, and carelessly discarded trash, such as cigarette butts, waste papers, and plastic bottles. When deposited into nearby waterways through MS4 discharges, these pollutants can impair the waterways, thereby discouraging recreational use of the resource, contaminating drinking water supplies, and interfering with the habitat for fish, other aquatic organisms, and wildlife. 

Importance of Illicit Discharge, Detection and Elimination (IDD&E)
Discharges into surface waters such as rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds from municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) often include wastes and wastewater from non-stormwater sources. 

A study conducted in 1987 in Sacramento, California, found that almost one-half of the water discharged from a local MS4 was not directly attributable to precipitation runoff. A significant portion of the dry weather flows were from illicit and/or inappropriate discharges and connections to the system. Pollutant levels from these illicit discharges have been shown in EPA studies to be high enough to significantly degrade receiving water quality and threaten aquatic, wildlife, and human health. 

The objective of the illicit discharge detection and elimination minimum control measure is for the Township to gain a thorough awareness of its storm sewer system. This awareness will allow the Township to determine the types and sources of illicit discharges entering its system and establish the legal, technical, and educational means needed to eliminate these discharges.  

Definition of “Illicit Discharge”
Federal regulations define an illicit discharge as “... any discharge to an MS4 that is not composed entirely of stormwater ...”. Illicit discharges include the following non-stormwater wastes: 

• Sanitary wastewater;
• Effluent from septic tanks;
• Carwash wastewater;
• Improper disposal of automobile and household toxins; 
• Improper disposal of oil;
• Laundry wastewater; and
• Spills from roadway accidents. 

The following non-stormwater wastes are not considered illicit discharges:

• Discharges from fire-fighting activities; 
• Runoff from irrigation practices;
• Diverted stream flows;
• Uncontaminated ground water infiltration;
• Uncontaminated pumped ground water;
• Discharges from potable water sources; 
• Foundation drains; 
• Air conditioning condensate;
• Springs;
• Water from crawl space pumps; and
• Discharges from NPDES-permitted industrial sources. 

Illicit discharges enter the system through either direct connections (e.g., wastewater piping either mistakenly or deliberately connected to the storm drains) or indirect connections (e.g., infiltration into the storm sewer system from cracked sanitary sewer systems, spills or toxins collected by or dumped directly into storm sewer inlets). The result is untreated discharges that contribute high levels of pollutants, including heavy metals, toxins, oil and grease, solvents, nutrients, viruses, and bacteria to receiving waterbodies. 

How to Report an Illicit Discharge
If you notice illicit discharges, please report them to Plainfield Township at 610-759-6944 or the Northeast Regional Office of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) at 570-826-2511.

Alternatively, illicit discharges can now be reported to the Township 24/7 utilizing the Township's Citizen Problem Reporter application, which is located at the following link: 

https://plainfieldtwp.maps.arcgis.com/apps/CrowdsourceReporter/index.html?appid=f75c76754f384e6faffb464b2ed3c426

For more information about the Plainfield Township MS4 program, please visit the Plainfield Township website at the following link: 

https://plainfieldtownship.org/stormwater-management/