Under the Federal Clean Water Act, municipalities throughout Massachusetts are required to reduce the amount of stormwater pollution entering our waters. The Town of Agawam received its current Phase II Stomwater NPDES permit on October 1, 2016. The intent of the regulations is to reduce the adverse impacts of water quality and aquatic habitat by controlling unregulated sources of stormwater discharges. Unregulated sources of stormwater discharges would include but not be limited to: excess fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides from agricultural lands and residential areas, oil, grease, and toxic chemicals from urban runoff and energy production, sediment from improperly managed construction sites, crop and forest lands and eroding streams, and bacterial and nutrients from livestock, pet wastes, and faulty septic systems. The NPDES Permit regulations require municipalities to develop and implement a stormwater management program that addresses six minimum control measures:
- Public Education and Involvement
- Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
- Construction Site Runoff Control
- Post-Construction Stormwater Management
- Pollution Prevention / Good Housekeeping
To learn more about Agawam’s Stormwater Management Program visit www.agawam.ma.us/NPDES
Comments may be made by emailing stormwater@agawam.ma.us