UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A team of Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward volunteers in Monroe County is helping Stroud Township save money while enhancing water quality in the region.
These Master Watershed Stewards — the Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination team — perform stormwater outfall inspections on behalf of the township. Outfalls are places where stormwater runoff empties into creeks, rivers and lakes, and contaminants in runoff can pollute these waterways.
Outfall inspections, crucial for protecting water quality, typically are carried out by engineering firms at $50-75 per hour. However, the volunteers perform this service for free.
The Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System, or MS4, program employs structures such as retention basins, ditches, roadside inlets and underground pipes that collect stormwater from urban areas and discharge it untreated into local water bodies. Communities classified as “Urbanized Areas” by the U.S. Census Bureau must participate in this program, managed in Pennsylvania by the Department of Environmental Protection under the federal Clean Water Act.
In Monroe County, six municipalities must comply with MS4 regulations, according to James Vogt, Master Watershed Steward coordinator for Penn State Extension in Monroe County. He noted that the Master Watershed Steward team selected Stroud Township as the pilot for its Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination program, which involves developing a system map and educating the community about the dangers of illegal discharges and improper waste disposal.
To discharge stormwater legally, Vogt explained, communities need a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit. To meet permit requirements, they must develop a stormwater management program focusing on six “minimum control measures” deemed essential by the Environmental Protection Agency: public education and outreach; public participation and involvement; illicit discharge detection and elimination; construction site erosion control; post construction stormwater management; and pollution prevention and good housekeeping.
“We help communities comply with MS4 requirements by assisting with the first three minimum control measures,” Vogt said. “We support MCMs 1 and 2 through education and outreach using Penn State resources.”
For example, the team distributes educational materials and performs outreach to inform the public about the impacts of polluted stormwater runoff on water quality. They also encourage public participation in the program’s development and implementation, such as public hearings and stormwater management panels.
The Master Watershed Stewards collaborate with Reilly Engineering, the firm used by Stroud Township, to create a detailed map of outfalls and discharge points. Frequent meetings with the engineering firm help prioritize inspections. All Master Watershed Steward team members have completed the Department of Environmental Protection Clean Water Academy training on outfall inspections.
To streamline the inspection process, Master Watershed Steward volunteer Duane Kerzic developed a smartphone app. The Department of Environmental Protection requires a lengthy report for each outfall, which Kerzic converted into a fillable form on the app. The app also includes the township map, with a feature that shows completed inspections.
“Instead of walking around with a clipboard full of papers — not ideal on a windy day — we can conduct the entire inspection on our phones and send PDFs, including photos, to Reilly Engineering,” Vogt said. “With our volunteers doing these inspections, the township saves quite a bit of money.”
Vogt said the next step is expanding the app’s availability to other county Master Watershed Steward programs. The team is seeking funding for broader coverage.
The Penn State Master Watershed Steward program provides extensive training in watershed management to volunteers who, in return, educate the community about watershed stewardship based on university research and recommendations. The program was established to strengthen local capacity for management and protection of watersheds, streams and rivers by educating and empowering volunteers across the commonwealth.
Anyone interested in becoming a Master Watershed Steward can learn more about the program on the Penn State Extension website.