Established September 4, 2007

Introduction

The Town of Lewisboro has developed a Stormwater Management Program to help improve our management of stormwater. Natural resources are an important component of the quality of life in Lewisboro.  The landscape around us is important for its scenic aspects, and also because it affects our groundwater.   The quality of our wetlands can affect the quality of our drinking water and of our ability to enjoy the land, lakes, reservoirs, and streams around us.  To help manage the impacts of stormwater on our environment, the Lewisboro Stormwater Management Committee was formed in September, 2007. 

What is Stormwater

Stormwater is water from rain or melting snow that doesn't soak into the ground but runs off into waterways. It flows from rooftops, over paved areas and bare soil, and through sloped lawns while picking up a variety of materials on its way. As it flows, stormwater runoff collects and transports soil, animal waste, salt, pesticides, fertilizers, oil and grease, debris and other potential pollutants. The quality of runoff is affected by a variety of factors and depends on the season, local meteorology, geography and upon activities which lie in the path of the flow.
(definition from the NYS DEC web site)

Why is stormwater important

Stormwater from a rain event or melting snow can pick up and move sediment and a variety of pollutants. Because the stormwater transports whatever is left on our lawns and roads, individual actions make a difference in determining the kinds and amounts of pollution.
In more developed areas, there is a greater percentage of impervious surfaces, and therefore more stormwater, and with more water, more pollutants can be transported.  In addition, the kind of surface can affect the quality and quantity of stormwater.  Forested areas retain more water than lawns:  lawns retain more water than bare soil.    
Uncontrolled erosion and stormwater can result in increased water runoff volume, increased rate of water runoff, soil movement and sediment accumulation which can damage our stormwater conveyance system of streams, brooks, swales, wetlands and waterbodies. This damages results in the destruction of habitat, accelerated lake degradation, increased pollutant loading and greater increase in the occurrence and impacts of flooding.

Polluted runoff degrades our lakes, rivers, wetland and other waterways and can then get into our groundwater.  

• Transported sediment clouds the waterways and interferes with the habitat of fish and plant life.  Sediment often comes from construction activities or areas of erosion.
• Nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen can promote the overgrowth of algae, can deplete oxygen in the waterways, can be harmful to other aquatic life and can alter the habitat ecology.   
• Toxic chemicals from automobiles and home supplies, and the careless application of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers all threaten the health of the receiving waterways and can kill fish and other aquatic life.
• Bacteria from animal wastes and illicit connections to sewerage systems can make nearby lakes and streams unsafe for wading, swimming and use as drinking water supplies. 

In Lewisboro, all of our stormwater runoff eventually goes into someone’s drinking water supply.   
Lewisboro’s surface water, although a part of its natural beauty, is also largely a result of human action. The Cross River Reservoir and Muscoot Reservoir are components of the New York City drinking water system.   Scotts Reservoir and Browns Reservoir, in southeast Lewisboro, are part of the drinking water supply for Connecticut residents.  While Lakes Waccabuc, Oscaleta, and Rippowam are natural, Lakes Katonah, Kitchawan, Truesdale, and Timber are all manmade.  .  In addition, the Town is laced with streams, creeks, and many small ponds.  Clean surface water enhances property values and aesthetic values, provides recreation opportunities, and protects the drinking water supply.

What's being done?

Across the nation, attention has shifted to distributed or “nonpoint” sources of pollution such as stormwater runoff. According to an inventory conducted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), half of the impaired waterways are affected by urban, suburban, and construction sources of stormwater runoff.  Stormwater presents new challenges in water management and minimizing pollution.
Stormwater runoff normally is not treated by sewage and wastewater treatment plants. More often than not, end-of-pipe controls are not the best answer for removing pollutants from stormwater runoff.  The best means of control is usually at the pollutant's source. Proper storage of chemicals, good housekeeping and just plain paying attention to what's happening during runoff events can lead to relatively inexpensive ways of preventing pollutants from getting into the runoff and then being transported to our groundwater, wetlands, and waterways.
Stormwater management practices are used to delay, collect, store, treat, or infiltrate stormwater runoff. While specific design objectives for stormwater management practices are often unique to each watershed, the general goals for stormwater management practices usually include the following:

• Maintain groundwater recharge and quality
• Reduce stormwater pollutant loads
• Protect stream channels from erosion
• Prevent increased overbank flooding
• Safely slow the velocity and carrying capacity of stormwater

Lewisboro Management

The Phase II Stormwater regulations require towns like Lewisboro to implement programs and practices to control polluted stormwater runoff.  These have six minimum measures:

• Public education and outreach on stormwater
• Public involvement and participation
• Illicit discharge detection and elimination
• Construction site stormwater runoff control
• Post construction stormwater management in new development and redevelopment
• Pollution prevention and good housekeeping for town operations

In December, 2007, Lewisboro passed two stormwater ordinances. One addresses the illicit discharge of stormwater, and its detection, and elimination, and the other addresses stormwater management and sediment and erosion control. These two ordinances can be read by clicking on the links at the top of this page.

In addition, you can see the actions that Lewisboro has taken by reviewing the annual reports, also linked to in the resource section below. 

Resources for additional information recommended

Town of Lewisboro:

Linking Land Use to Water Quality - February 2008
2007 Stormwater Presentation
2006 Stormwater Report 
2004 Stormwater Report

Drinking Water System information:
2006 Keeler Field Water Quality
2006 Oakridge Water Quality

Westchester County information:  

Aquatic Buffers:
http://www.westchestergov.com/Planning/environmental/Reports/WaterResourceBufferBroch.pdf

The Croton Plan for Westchester: 
http://www.westchestergov.com/Planning/environmental/

Step by Step:  your guide to cleaner water:
http://www.westchestergov.com/Planning/environmental/SoilWaterReports/StepbyStep.pdf

Nonpoint Source Pollution Fact Sheets
These six fact sheets are designed to provide an overview of what Citizens can do to reduce nonpoint source pollution on the local level. 
http://www.westchestergov.com/Planning/environmental/

EPA information:

Watershed Academy on the Web: 
http://www.epa.gov/watertrain/
Stormwater:
http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm?program_id=6

Other sites of interest:

Watershed Game: 
http://www.bellmuseum.org/distancelearning/watershed/watershed2.html
Center for Watershed Protection: 
http://www.cwp.org/index.html
Impacts of Development on waterways – Purdue Fact sheet
http://www.planningwithpower.org/pubs/id-257.htm

Committee Members

The Committee will present its progress to the public annually on its achievements and goals.