Congratulations to the municipalities in the Ipswich Watershed and across Massachusetts who are taking strides to protect their water resources. On October 1st, communities submitted Notices of Intent for the federal stormwater permit, which went into effect for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on July 1st. The permit requires municipalities to take additional steps to protect rivers, lakes, streams and ponds from pollution caused by rainwater runoff, called stormwater. Contaminated stormwater is the top pollution problem in rivers across Massachusetts, including the Ipswich, which flows from Burlington to Ipswich and provides drinking water to fourteen North Shore communities.
The Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System, or MS4 permit, was originally supposed to take effect in July 2017, but was delayed by the Environmental Protection Agency for a year. “Pruitt’s delay of Massachusetts’ MS4 permit was part of the Trump Administration’s pattern of rolling back and delaying environmental protections put in place by the prior administration,” said Julia Blatt, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Rivers Alliance.
“This is a victory for the Ipswich River and its watershed communities,’’ said Executive Director Wayne Castonguay. “Right now, environmental protections are under threat, but this stormwater standard will safeguard the future of our water. The Ipswich River Watershed Association looks forward to working with towns, agencies, landowners and communities to continue improving water quality and decrease public health risks.”
The revised MS4 permit requires towns to update their stormwater management plans, monitor outfall pipes and prioritize cleanup of the most pressing problems, such as the discharge of untreated sewage into nearby waterways via storm drains. The permit also requires “good housekeeping” practices such as storm drain cleaning and street sweeping.
One of the ways Ipswich River Watershed Association is already helping communities meet the requirements of the new permit is through the Greenscapes North Shore Coalition. As part of the permit, towns and cities must establish a robust outreach program aimed at educating citizens how to best keep pollutants out of our lakes and rivers. In Essex County, many municipalities are partnering with Greenscapes, a program which provides communities with school programs, public presentations, flyers and public service announcements, tabling events and many other tools and services. By tailoring messages to different audiences, the Greenscapes program helps communities to easily meet this component of the MS4 permit. “Ultimately,” Castonguay explains, “this means safer swimming, fishing and boating for people and a cleaner habitat for fish and wildlife.”
Read more about the MS4 permit here. Is your town partnering with the Greenscapes Coalition? Ask us at [email protected]