Achieving water quality goals in Pennsylvania’s waters is now more streamlined with the launch of the PA MS4 Collaboration Toolkit, a resource created by the national nonprofit Center for Watershed Protection to empower Pennsylvania municipalities to work together and tackle water quality challenges more efficiently and cost-effectively.

As federal and state agencies intensify efforts to improve water quality, local municipalities are under pressure to meet increasingly stringent requirements. Watersheds do not align with municipal boundaries, which make collaboration integral.

The PA MS4 Collaboration Toolkit provides a clear, step-by-step roadmap for municipalities eager to team up and address the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) permit requirements.

The toolkit serves as a guide for communities at any stage of collaboration.

Whether just beginning to explore partnerships to address Minimum Control Measures (MCMs) or already working together to meet Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and Pollutant Reduction Plan (PRP) objectives, actionable insights are provided for all scenarios.

The toolkit is built on the real-world experiences of Pennsylvania’s existing MS4 collaborations.

The Center for Watershed Protection interviewed these groups, identified their successes, challenges, and distilled those lessons into this comprehensive guide.

From cost savings and strategic implementation to improved municipal relationships, the benefits of collaboration are clear.

It also addresses other challenges —like technical capacity, long-term engagement, legal considerations, and operations and maintenance for stormwater projects.

Ready to start collaborating? The PA MS4 Collaboration Toolkit is available now.

The PA MS4 Collaboration Toolkit was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Campbell Foundation and the William Penn Foundation.

Visit the Center for Watershed Protection website for more resources on watershed restoration and protection.

Related Articles - Watersheds:

-- National Fish & Wildlife Foundation Now Accepting Applications For Chesapeake Bay Innovative Nutrient & Sediment Reduction Grants; Sept. 12 Webinar  [PaEN]

-- Northcentral PA Conservancy, Partners Complete Project To Stabilize Tioga River Bank In Blossburg, Tioga County  [PaEN]

-- Center For Watershed Protection: Introducing The PA MS4 Stormwater Collaboration Toolkit - Unlocking Water Quality Success  [PaEN]

-- Rodale Institute Presents An Evening With Will Harris: A Conversation Between Farmers Sept. 10 At Kutztown University   [PaEN]

-- Southwestern PA Water Network To Host Confluence At Mingo Creek - A Celebration Of Watersheds Sept. 28 In Washington County  [PaEN]

-- Schuylkill Action Network Hosts Sept. 24 Southeast PA Water Utility Forum At Albright College, Berks County  [PaEN]

-- PA Sea Grant: Lake Erie Shipboard Educator Science Workshop StoryMap Highlights This Year's Experience  [PaEN]

-- DEP Now Accepting Applications For 2025 Environmental Education Grants, Deadline Nov. 15

-- Penn State Extension Watershed Winds Newsletter: Pharmaceuticals And Water Quality; Impervious Surface Stormwater Impacts; Fix A Leaking Pond; Much More!

-- Susquehanna Greenway Partnership: Winners Named In 13th Annual Photo Contest; Vote For People’s Choice Winners [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- Moshannon Creek Watershed Assn: Healing The Red Mo - The Toxic Legacy Of Acid Mine Drainage In Clearfield County  [WPSU Video]

-- Lancaster Clean Water Partners: The Backbone Of An Amazing Network Of Partners Who Work To Restore Clean Water In Lancaster County  [Video]

-- LancasterOnline: The Giant Company Healing The Planet Tree Planting Grants Benefit McCaskey High School, Lititz Church

-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: Stormwater Runoff Not An Issue In Solar Fields With Proper Management, Penn State Study Finds

-- Scranton Times: Moscow Sewer Authority, US Army Corps Of Engineers To Answer Questions About Polluted Septic Tanks And Wetlands, $4 Million Remediation Project

-- KDKA: Massive River Clean Up In Pittsburgh Will Move To The Ohio River

-- Bradford Era: National Forest Service Accepting Comments On Stream Habitat Project In Elk County

-- Bradford Era: US Forest Service Seeks Input On Tar Sites Cleanup In Allegheny National Forest

-- PUC Recognizes National Water Quality Month In August

-- Delaware RiverKeeper Aug. 23 RiverWatch Video Report

-- PA Environmental Council Blog: River Rally Takeaways, Tangible And Otherwise - By Tali MacArthur, Watershed Outreach Manager

[Posted: August 21, 2024]

8/26/2024