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Stormwater Management

Stormwater Management

Welcome to the City's Stormwater Management Information page. This page is designed to provide City residents with quick access to information and resources to preserve and protect clean water in the City and the Lebanon County community. The City of Lebanon is actively involved in a variety of programs and initiatives to meet various Statewide and National goals for clean water. Local residents have a role to play too, which when combined together will have a positive impact on our environment and the water that is so important to us all.

Property owners in the City of Lebanon received invoices from Keystone Collections for the stormwater management fee which was recently implemented by municipalities throughout the county. In an effort to help our residents better understand the Stormwater Management Fee Program, please click on the following links to read information about the history and purpose of the implementation of the stormwater fee.  

Stormwater Informational Flyer

Stormwater Frequently Asked Questions

Stormwater Annual Newsletter

Stormwater originates from rainfall and other precipitation that runs off of surfaces all over the City - rooftops, streets, construction sites, lawns, fields, etc.  Stormwater makes its way into swales, storm drains, natural water courses and it literally takes everything loose on the ground with it when it rains...pollutants, sediment, leaves, trash, etc. The City of Lebanon is actively involved in meeting statutory permitting requirements under state and federal law. The City is also active with partners in a variety of programs and strategies to enhance water quality through plantings, mowing strategies, implementation of stormwater management facilities and other "best management practices" (BMPs). 

We hope that you will find this information useful in learning about the requirements as well as tools to use on your own.

Storm Water Management - NPDES and MS4 Programs

The Clean Water Act is the federal legislation that governs stormwater management. Stormwater point discharges to waters of the U.S. (pipes and drain pipes) are regulated using National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. In 1999, federal regulations extended coverage of the NPDES program to local separate storm sewer systems (MS4’s) serving populations less than 100,000. The City of Lebanon is required to comply with the NPDES program as a MS4 municipality.  Under the NPDES stormwater program, permittees must develop a stormwater management plan that provides the details of how the community will comply with the requirements of the permit. Permits are based on a framework of six minimum control measures:

  • Public education and outreach
  • Public participation and involvement 
  • Illicit discharge detection and elimination 
  • Construction site runoff control 
  • Post-construction storm water management in new development and redevelopment 
  • Pollution prevention and good housekeeping for municipal operations and maintenance 

More information on this program is available from the Pennsylvania DEP website (See Links Below). 

Quick Reference Links on Storm Water Management

There are a variety of documents and guides available on the City website and from other sources that you will find useful in learning about stormwater management and best management practices for construction, residential homes and business. For documents related to stormwater management, check out these links below: 

What Residents Can Do Now 

The goals of all MS4 programs and the City are to reduce the discharge of pollutants from the City of Lebanon, to protect water quality and to satisfy requirements of the Clean Water Act. Get involved. Stormwater from your home and from the public streets goes into a storm sewer, which goes directly into streams. This water is not cleaned in any way and does not go to the waste water treatment plant. The City needs all of its residents to assist us in keeping our stormwater and stormwater sewer system clean by doing the following:

  • Never dump anything down storm drains and report anyone who does. 

  • Pick up after your pet and dispose of their waste properly – DO NOT throw their waste into storm drains.

  • Do not discharge chlorinated pool water down storm drains or directly into the creek.

  • Check your car for leaks and recycle motor oil.

  • Take your car to the car wash instead of washing it in the driveway. 

  • Sweep up the grass clippings after mowing your lawn.

  • Do not blow or pile leaves into the streets that may eventually clog storm drains (with exception of the weekend prior to scheduled leaf pickup dates).

  • Use pesticides and fertilizers sparingly, avoiding excess to prevent polluted runoff.

  • Seed or vegetate bare spots in your lawn to prevent soil erosion.

  • Compost your yard waste.

  • Dispose of your hazardous wastes properly. The Greater Lebanon Refuse Authority (GLRA) offers several household hazardous waste drop-off events throughout the year. 

  • Direct downspouts away from paved surfaces. Install innovative stormwater practices that can help capture stormwater and keep it on site to use for gardening purposes or let it infiltrate back into the groundwater. See www.prc.org for information on Rain Barrels.

  • Educate your relatives and neighbors on proper stormwater stewardship.

  • Please call the Public Works Department at (717) 639-2800 to report any discharges from stormwater outfalls during times of dry weather, a sign there could be a problem with the storm sewer system.

Also, please monitor stormwater inlets near your property. No one should dump anything into the storm sewer system. If you see someone dumping please call the Public Works Department at (717) 639-2800 or complete the Citizen Complaint Illicit Discharge Reporting Form and submit to our office in person or by fax at (717)274-2482.

This would include the following:

  • Sediment leaving a construction site in stormwater

  • Spills (Chemical, Gas, Oil)

  • Illegal dumping activity into streams or storm sewers (PLEASE CALL 911 FIRST)

  • Dry weather flows from outfall pipes into streams (72 hours after a rain storm) 

Again, residents may be the first to recognize "illicit" discharges such as dumping into storm sewers or coming out of from storm sewer outfalls. If you see an "illicit" discharge please report that to the Public Works Department by calling (717) 639-2800.