Tarentum Borough
MS4 Program
Detailing the efforts of Tarentum Borough to reduce pollutant discharge in to our storm water system.
Tarentum Borough sends a big THANK YOU to Ms. Platt’s elementary students for the additions to our MS4 website. Ms. Platt’s class reached out to offer thanks for the information contained on this page. They also provided some feedback and suggestions on additional information that would be helpful to our community.
The picture to the right represents the earth’s hydrosphere, which contains all the waters on the earth’s surface, such as lakes and seas, and sometimes includes water over the earth’s surface, such as clouds.
Our MS4 program in Tarentum Borough is vital to preserving the quality of the earth’s hydrosphere. The water that drains into our storm water system directly impacts the earth’s hydrosphere. To learn more about the earth’s hydrosphere, please see this glossary of terms provided by Ms. Platt’s elementary school students, which describes the various terminology of the earth’s continuous water cycle.
Thank you again to Ms. Platt, Jessica, Morgan, Sam and Kira for the helpful information! 🙂
Have a great rest of your school year!
Overview
In 2003, the PA DEP identified Tarentum Borough as a Phase II Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) community. As a Phase II community, the Borough is required to implement a storm water management program to minimize the impacts from storm water runoff and discharge.
Program Goals
Under the MS4 Program, we are required to incorporate the following six elements into our storm water management program: Public education and outreach. Public involvement and participation. Illicit discharge detection and elimination. Construction site runoff control. Post-construction storm water management. Pollution prevention of municipal operations.
Education
Only Rain Down The Drain! No solids, no mulch, no trash, no pool draining, and no grass clippings! Don't dispose of pet waste in storm sewer gates. Don't drain your pool or hot tub in the storm drain. Don't let your car leak fluids. Don't use herbicides of chemical fertilizers. Go organic in your yard and garden.
Tarentum Borough Public Service Announcement on Stormwater
The Borough of Tarentum would like to remind all people who live and work within the Borough that our storm sewer inlets, curbs and gutters, drainage ditches and storm pipes discharge directly and untreated into either Bull Creek or the Allegheny River. Please review the information on this page to learn more about how you can help!
Learn More Here
Education Materials
Water Cycle Glossary of Terms: Thank you to Ms. Platt’s classroom for the useful suggestion to add to our MS4 website!
Stormwater Management: Stormwater PA.org
When it Rains, it Drains: Brochure targeted at the general public that gives an overview of storm water, why it is a problem, and how members of the community can help.
Developer Fact Sheet: Construction fact sheet targeted at developers.
Door Hanger: Notice of pollution found in the area.
Stormwater Placemat: Crossword puzzle on a place mat.
Paving Our Way: Paving our Way to Water Shortages.
PA DEP – Stream and Creek Maintenance
Westmoreland Conservation District – Best Mgmt Practices
Learn More Here
Further Information
PAG-13 Authorization to Discharge (NPDES Permit No. PAG 136248)
Permit Compliance:
| Type of Permit | Permit No. | Date Issued | Issued By |
| Facility Permit Renewal | PAG136248 | 06/02/2014 | PA DEP |
| PWS Major Amendment | 217501 | 08/24/2017 | PA DEP |
| PWS Minor Amendment | 0216510MA | 06/28/2016 | PA DEP |
| PWS Amendment | 212521 | 01/30/2015 | PA DEP |
| PWS Major Amendment | 215501 | 04/06/2017 | PA DEP |
| PWS Minor Amendment | 0215525MA | 05/02/2016 | PA DEP |
| PWS Major Amendment | 212521 | 02/25/2013 | PA DEP |
| PWS Major Amendment | 212528 | 02/25/2013 | PA DEP |
| PWS Facility Amendment | 0215525MA | 08/23/2016 | PA DEP |
| PWS Minor Amendment | 0217514MA | 06/22/2017 | PA DEP |
| PWS Facility Amendment | 0216510MA | 12/05/2016 | PA DEP |
More Information
Four Ways to Reduce Winter Stormwater Pollution
Controlling stormwater pollution is a year-round concern, one that matters in winter just as much as spring and summer.
When the temperature drops, vast amounts of deicing chemicals are dumped by the truckload across our roads, sidewalks, and driveways. With each thaw, all that salt washes directly into our waterways. Freezing temperatures also lead to broken pipes, which can lead to erosion issues or even raw sewage pouring into our streams.
Avoid using sodium chloride as a deicer. Commonly used road salts like sodium chloride (also known as halite) can kill plants, break down concrete, and stain carpets. More environmentally friendly alternatives to sodium chloride are acetates (such as Premiere Ice Melter), potassium chloride, or magnesium chloride (such as SafeStep Mag Chloride 8300).
Open your rain barrel spigot. Although this doesn’t help with stormwater in the winter, it does help prevent your barrel from filling with ice and potentially cracking. A cracked barrel definitely can’t reduce stormwater pollution!
Do not pile snow on your rain garden. Though your plants are dormant, heavy snow loads, upon melting, could saturate your garden for long enough to potentially hurt your plants. Normal snow accumulation does not pose a problem, though, so there is no need to shovel the garden! Pile your snow from elsewhere on the uphill side of the rain garden instead so that when it melts your rain garden can do its thing.
Go pervious! Replacing your walkway or driveway with river stone, pervious pavers, or other porous materials will allow water to soak into the ground instead of becoming runoff. These surfaces not only help reduce polluted stormwater runoff and erosion, they also “breathe” more than impervious surfaces like asphalt and concrete, so they take longer to ice over.
Tarentum Borough Public Service Announcement on Stormwater
The Borough of Tarentum would like to remind all people who live and work within the Borough that our storm sewer inlets, curbs and gutters, drainage ditches and storm pipes discharge directly and untreated into either Bull Creek or the Allegheny River. In order to help keep our natural waterways clean, we remind all residents and businesses to please:
– Do NOT discard leaves, grass clippings, used oil, paints, solvents, pet wastes or other wastes into the storm drains, onto the street or into streams or other waterways.
– Clean up after your pet. Don’t let pet wastes get washed into the street or down the storm drain.
– Wash your vehicle at a commercial car wash or if washing it at home, wash your vehicle in a grassy or gravel area. Or divert your washwater into the grass or gravel area.
– Properly dispose of used motor oil, oil-based paints, solvents, household cleaners and other hazardous household chemicals. Go to www.westmorelandcleanways.org for more info.
(SPRING & SUMMER)
– Maintain the grass height in your yard at 3 inches or more. Longer grass is healthier and requires less fertilizer.
– If using fertilizers or pesticides, always follow the directions and never apply immediately before a rain storm.
(FALL)
– If draining your pool, allow your pool to dechlorinate first by keeping it uncovered and waiting ten (10) days after its last chlorination to allow the chlorine to dissipate in the air. Then drain the pool onto the lawn or into a vegetated area to allow the water to soak into the ground.
– Do NOT discard leaves onto the street, into the storm drains, streams or other waterways.
Together, we can protect and preserve a valuable resource to our community.