- NEWS RELEASE
- June 10, 2004
Storm
Water District Annual Report Presented To County Commissioners
Butler County
Engineer and Storm Water Engineer Greg Wilkens presented the
Storm Water District's first Annual Report to the Butler County
Commissioners today. The Report reviews first year activities
that were implemented to meet the NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System) Phase 2 permit, as mandated by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
This update
to the Commissioners emphasizes Butler County's compliance with
the federal mandate and the efficiency with which the program
has been carried out. "Efficiency and cost have been major
considerations," Wilkens noted. "We now have a solid
program in place that meets all federal requirements and is financially
solvent. I'm proud of the way we've built the Butler County Storm
Water District from the ground up in a little over a year."
Public acceptance
of the program has also been favorable. Wilkens noted that there
are almost 56,000 parcels involved in the Storm Water District
and yet his officials have logged fewer than 200 inquiries concerning
drainage issues and billing.
Storm
Water District - A Brief Overview
In accordance
with the Federal Clean Water Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) imposed strict new regulations on water quality
in creeks, streams, lakes, and rivers. Adopted in 1999, this
unfunded mandate requires certain communities to submit a plan
which outlines how they propose to protect bodies of water from
pollution.
The County
Commissioners appointed the Butler County Engineer's Office as
the lead agency to develop the County's Storm Water District,
which is charged with evaluating the quality of storm water pollution
runoff from construction sites, commercial and residential properties,
as well as agricultural and park lands. The District is required
to closely monitor storm water runoff for compliance. What the
plan does not involve is resolving flooding issues or infrastructure
maintenance, i.e., storm sewers and drainage facilities. All
affected entities were required to obtain permit coverage by
March 10, 2003.
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