Avondale Borough

Please note, effective March 10, 2003 the Borough of Avondale is subject to the new Federal National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System – Phase II mandates for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4). This means the Borough will endeavor to monitor all earth disturbance and other contributions to the Municipal Storm Sewer System within the Borough Limits to assist in protection of quality of its creeks and rivers. Any illegal contribution to the Borough’s storm sewer system will be noted and the violators will be issued a warning to desist and correct the violation. If the violation continues the violators will be subject to penalties.

As part of this program, stormwater inlets, or catch basins, in the Borough have been marked DUMP NO WASTE – DRAINS TO STREAM.

The quality of our waterways is everyone’s concern and mutual consideration and cooperation is expected to maintain the quality of Pennsylvania’s waterways.

Stormwater discharge is exactly what it says, water generated from a storm event. No other runoff should be directed to the stormwater system. The Borough has an ordinance (No. 222, enacted on 5-2-08) that prohibits non-stormwater discharges, with certain possible exemptions. These are permitted only if they do not pose a significant contribution to pollution to surface waters of the Commonwealth.

We appreciate your understanding and hope for mutual cooperation to ensure compliance with these new regulations. Here are simple ways homeowners can protect our watersheds.

Additional Information:
EPA.GOV
EPA Water Pollution Prevention and Control
EPA Stormwater Homepage
EPA MS4

Illicit Discharge:

As outlined in the MCM #1 comment from the DEP Annual MS4 Status Report Acknowledgement letter, we are recommended to include the definition of “illicit discharge” on the website.  We recommend that the Stormwater page of the Avondale Borough website include an “Illicit Discharge” section before or after the “Additional Information” section, and to provide the following writeup:

• As part of the its NPDES MS4 permit with PA DEP, Avondale Borough is required to enforce a program to detect and eliminate illicit discharges into the storm sewer system and streams.  An illicit discharge is defined as “any discharge to a municipal separate storm sewer that is not composed entirely of stormwater, except for authorized non-stormwater discharges
  • Illicit
    • Motor vehicle fluids
    • Household hazardous wastes
    • Grass clippings
    • Leaf litter
    • Animal wastes
    • Unauthorized discharges of sewage, industrial waste, restaurant wastes, or any other non-stormwater wastes
  • “Discharges Authorized by this Permit”
    • Discharges or Flows from firefighting activities
    • Discharges from potable water sources including water line flushing and fire hydrant flushing, if such discharges do not contain detectable concentrations of Total Residual Chlorine (TRC)
    • Non-contaminated irrigation water, water from lawn maintenance, landscape drainage and flows from riparian habitats and wetlands
    • Diverted stream flows and springs
    • Non-contaminated pumped ground water and water from foundation and footing drains and crawl space pumps
    • Non-contaminated HVAC condensation and water from geothermal systems
    • Residential (i.e. not commercial) vehicle wash water where cleaning agents are not utilized
    • Non-contaminated hydrostatic test water discharges, if such discharges do not contain detectable concentrations of TRC

If you wish to report a suspected illicit discharge, please call the Borough at 610-268-8501 or email administrator@avondaleboro.net during business hours. If this is an emergency please call or text 302-513-0498 during non-working hours.

Christina Watersheds Municipal Partnership (CWMP)
MS4 Fact Sheets and NPDES Information
National Menu of Stormwater Best Management Practices
Stormwater Outreach Materials and Reference Documents
Polluted Runoff, Nonpoint Source Pollution (This site, contains several sub-topics under the “Quick Finder” section that may be useful for MS4s.)
EPA Watersheds
When It Rains It Drains
DEP Stormwater Management Program
Chester County Conservation District

Learn About Rain Barrels

MAKE YOUR OWN RAIN BARREL – You can purchase a kit to make your own rain barrel – for details, click here

Rain Barrel Construction Guide

Chester County Water Resources Authority:
Chester County Website
StormwaterPA

Information from the Community

We’d like to thank a local Avon Grove student and Girl Scout for sharing this helpful educational resource. While working on a Wonders of Water project focused on water quality and conservation, she found the following article to be informative and easy to understand: Student’s Guide to the Water Cycle

We’re pleased to pass it along and hope you find it useful.