The Solution

Overview
Uwchlan Township is part of a statewide campaign to combat storm sewer pollution. The Pennsylvania Department for Environmental Protection has developed the following 6 guidelines (Minimum Control Measures) for program development in order to help communities like Uwchlan Township maintain a complete storm water program.

Storm water is everyone's business (PDF), please treat it with respect.

Public Education & Outreach
  • Distributing educational materials and performing outreach to inform citizens about the impacts polluted storm water runoff discharges can have on water quality
  • Controls include:
    • Creating brochures or fact sheets for public distribution
    • Instituting educational programs for school-age children
When It Rains It Drains
Only Rain Down the Storm Drain
Public Participation & Involvement
  • Providing opportunities for citizens to participate directly in program development and implementation
  • Controls include:
    • Organization of community clean-ups
    • Storm drain stenciling
    • Outfall monitoring
    • Citizen watch groups
  • Learn more about the public participation and involvement effort (PDF)
 Illicit Discharge Detection & Elimination
  • Developing a system to detect and eliminate illicit discharges to the storm sewer system
  • Controls include:
    • Promoting recycling programs for commonly dumped wastes
    • Locating and testing suspected problem areas for pollution
    • Informing the public of the hazards of illegal discharges
Construction Site Runoff Control
  • Developing, implementing, and enforcing an erosion and sediment control program for construction activities
  • Controls include:
    • Appropriate site plan review and inspection of new construction and
    • Require implementation of State and County erosion control regulations
  • Get more information about the construction site runoff control (PDF)
Post Construction Runoff Control
  • Creating a program to address storm water runoff from newly developed or redeveloped areas
  • Controls include:
    • Require protection of environmentally sensitive areas (e.g. wetlands)
  • Require recharge of runoff from new impervious surfaces
  • Learn more about post construction runoff control (PDF)
Pollution Prevention & Good Housekeeping
  • This program’s goal is to reduce pollutant runoff from municipal operations
  • Controls include:
    • Regular street sweeping
  • Reduction in the use of pesticides or street salt
  • Frequent catch-basin cleaning
  • Learn more about pollution prevention and good housekeeping (PDF)
What Residents Can Help Watch For
  • Clogged, leaking or overflowing sanitary sewer lines
  • Dry weather flows observed to be contaminated or polluted from outfall pipes into streams (72 hours after a rain storm)
  • Illegal dumping activity into streams or storm sewers
  • Inadequately treated effluent from a sewage treatment plant
  • Observed pollution event or pollutants in stream
  • Sediment leaving a construction site in stormwater
  • Spills, hazardous materials (Chemical, Gas, Oil)
Residents may be the first to recognize "illicit" discharges dumping into storm sewers or coming out of from storm sewer outfalls. If you see an "illicit" discharge please report that to the township by one of the following methods.
Issues Observed
 Primary Contact Information
 Additional Contact Information
DEP 24-Hour Water Quality Hotline
 484-250-5900 or 866-255-5158
 Anytime, including evenings and weekends
Spills and other Emergencies Hotline
 PA DEP 484-250-5900
 PA Emergency Management Agency 800-424-7362
Off site discharge of sediment
 Chester Co. Conservation District 610-925-4920
 Send photo, full address, and directions
Clogged, leaking, overflowing sewer lines
 Uwchlan Township 610-363-9450
 After hours call Chester Co. Dept. of Emergency Services 610-692-5100; if sewage is entering water courses, also call DEP
Dry weather storm sewer flows that are observed to be polluted or contaminated
 Uwchlan Township 610-363-9450
 After hours call Uwchlan Township Police non-emergency 610-692-5100
Fish kills, illegal fishing
 PA Fish and Boat Commission 717-626-0228
 For fish kills, also call DEP 484-250-5990
Broken water mains
 AQUA PA 610-525-1402
 24 hour

Storm Drain Stenciling
Uwchlan Township with the assistance of volunteers has started to mark some of the storm drains in the township with the "No Dumping / Drains to Waterways" stencils. These storm drain stencils educate the public that anything you dump into the storm drain ends up directly in a creek or other public waterway. If you would like volunteer and help with storm drain stenciling: please call the township at 610-363-9450.