Stormwater Phase II

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The City of Henderson has been designated a "small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System" (Small MS4 or sMS4) community by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and the Kentucky Department of Water (DOW).  The Henderson Water Utility administers the federal and state regulations associated with this program.

The MS4 program consists of 6 elements, termed “minimum control measures,” which are outlined below.

• Public Education and Outreach
  Distributing educational materials and performing outreach to inform citizens about the impacts polluted storm water runoff discharges can have on water quality.

• Public Participation/Involvement
  Providing opportunities for citizens to participate in program development and implementation, including effectively publicizing public hearings and/or encouraging citizen representatives on a storm water management panel.

• Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
  Developing and implementing a plan to detect and eliminate illicit discharges to the storm sewer system (includes developing a system map and informing the community about hazards associated with illegal discharges and improper disposal of waste).

• Construction Site Runoff Control
  Developing, implementing, and enforcing an erosion and sediment control program for construction activities that disturb 1 or more acres of land (controls could include silt fences and temporary storm water detention ponds).

• Post-Construction Runoff Control
  Developing, implementing, and enforcing a program to address discharges of post-construction storm water runoff from new development and redevelopment areas.  Applicable controls could include preventative actions such as protecting sensitive areas (e.g., wetlands) or the use of structural BMPs such as grassed swales or porous pavement.

• Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping
  Developing and implementing a program with the goal of preventing or reducing pollutant runoff from municipal operations. The program must include municipal staff training on pollution prevention measures and techniques (e.g., regular street sweeping, reduction in the use of pesticides or street salt, or frequent catch-basin cleaning).

More information on the EPA's Storm Water Phase II program.

The Henderson Water Utility's 2003 Water Quality Report (reporting data collected in 2002), a newsletter mailed to HWU water customers, contains information about the City of Henderson's sMS4 storm water quality management plan.  (You will need Adobe's free Acrobat Reader to be able to access this report.)

One area of concern for the EPA's Storm Water Phase II program is erosion and sediment control for construction sites.  The Henderson Water Utility will host a 2-day workshop on November 9-10, 2004 to help local citizens, as well as those involved in the construction industry, learn how they will be impacted by the new regulations.  (More...)

Local volunteers participated in the annual Ohio River Sweep on June 26, 2004.  See the photo gallery!