Roxanne Carpenter, Realtor,RE/MAX Cornerstone

09/09/2024

Are You Thinking About Buying, or Selling a Home? This is One-Stop Shopping For a Realtor. Give Roxanne Carpenter a Call at RE/MAX Cornerstone - 717-273-5501, Ext. 109.

08/28/2024

08/28/2024

Do it Yourself Project

08/23/2024

08/23/2024

08/16/2024

If You are Thinking About Buying, or Selling a Property Please Think of Roxanne Carpenter, REALTOR, Certified Residential Specialist, at RE/MAX Cornerstone, 931 Russell Drive, Lebanon, PA. 17042.
717-273-5501, Ext. 109. Thank you!

08/13/2024

Several issues surrounding a proposed roundabout at state Route 934 and Clear Spring Road in North Annville Township have placed the project in jeopardy.

07/09/2024

With Residential Real Estate Council – I just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉

07/06/2024

07/06/2024

The City often receives questions pertaining to the Stormwater fee that is charged on an annual basis. These fees are collected in order to service and maintain the City’s storm drain systems and MS4 program. These structures require attention and servicing just like any other system in the City and much of the existing system is very aged and in need of repair. Due to the nature of the system, which is subterranean, it is difficult and expensive to upgrade and maintain. Currently, the City has over 850 catch basins that require regular cleaning and monitoring to ensure pollutants and trash are kept out of our water ways.

MS4 is short for, "Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System", where the word “Municipal" refers to a unit of local government like a city, a borough or a township, but may also refer to an organization responsible for the administration of a developed area. And the number 4 refers to the four words that start with the letter "S"; "Separate," "Storm," "Sewer," "System."

A separate storm sewer system is a collection of structures, including retention basins, ditches, roadside inlets and underground pipes, designed to gather stormwater from built-up areas and discharge it, without treatment, into local streams and rivers. It's called a separate system because it's not connected to the sanitary sewer system which drains waste water from inside a home to a sewage treatment facility or a private septic system.

The authorization that MS4 communities get from the DEP to legally discharge stormwater into local stream and rivers is called an "NPDES" permit which stands for National Pollution Discharge Elimination System. The word "National" references the connection with the Federal Clean Water Act, and the word "Discharge" refers to the fact that separate storm sewer systems eventually release stormwater into local creeks, rivers, and lakes, untreated. These particular NPDES permits are also commonly called, "MS4 Permits" or "Stormwater Permits." To meet the terms of their NPDES Permit, communities need to develop what's called a "Stormwater Management Program" (SWMP).*

Presently, City residents pay $60 a year to assist with offsetting the high expenses involved with implementing these Federally mandated programs. All other properties within the City pay a fee based of the amount of impervious surfaces associated with the property, such as parking areas & roofing. All that rain runoff has to go somewhere. Our stormwater system relocates much of the City’s stormwater runoff from the streets and buildings, to the Quittie or Hazel D**e levees. As members of the Chesapeake water shed, it is our responsibility to reduce pollutants as much as possible.

*Portions of this article were sourced from What is an MS4? (psu.edu), by author Andy Yencha