The Village of Central Square is an MS4 community. That means that development taking place in the Village of Central Square is subject to MS4 regulations, which includes considerations for sedimentation and erosion during land development, and care for what makes its way into local groundwater, waterways and water bodies, and stormwater collection systems.
As a MS4 Community, the Village of Central Square is dedicated to protect water quality. To do this we have developed a stormwater management program to protect our waterways and enhance our quality of life. One goal is to identify existing resources and develop programs to reduce the negative impacts of stormwater pollution. The purpose of this section of the web site is to enhance public knowledge and awareness of stormwater pollution and provide information to individuals and households to prevent stormwater pollution and protect water quality.
What is Stormwater?
Stormwater is water from rain or melting snow that does not soak into the ground. It flows from rooftops, over paved areas, bare soil, and sloped lawns. As it flows, stormwater runoff collects and transports soil, animal waste, salt, pesticides, fertilizers, oil and grease, debris and other potential pollutants.
Stormwater Survey
As a member of the CNY Stormwater Coalition, Mayor Sherman invites you to participate in the 2015 Stormwater and Water Quality Survey. This non-scientific survey is designed to track baseline stormwater public awareness and to help direct future public education efforts. The survey takes less than five minutes to complete and will help the Village comply with federal and state stormwater regulations. Please click on the following link to participate in the survey, and thank you in advance for your time, and your interest.
What is being done?
The U.S. EPA Phase II Rule requires operators of small municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) to develop and implement a stormwater management program that addresses six minimum controls. The six minimum controls are listed below along with links to view information on each topic:
Public education & outreach — Educational brochures for target businesses
Additional Public Education Materials
Public Participation & Involvement
Illicit Discharge Detection & Elimination
Construction Site Runoff Control — Construction Site Inspection Training Materials
Post-construction Site Runoff Control
Pollutants
Many different types of pollutants can find their way into storm drains.
Some common pollutants found in storm sewers and creeks include:
It's important to remember that any type of surface water runoff, not just rainfall, can run into the storm sewer and collect in the stormwater management system. For example, when you wash your car on the driveway, that water ends up in the system. That's why we need to be careful with what we put into the storm sewers as traces of all this material can end up in the stormwater system and our local waterways.
To learn more about preventing stormwater pollution download the Household Guide to Preventing Stormwater Pollution.
What's the problem?
Rain and snowmelt wash pollutants from streets, construction sites, and land into storm sewers and ditches. Eventually, the storm sewers and ditches empty the polluted stormwater directly into streams and rivers with no treatment. This is known as stormwater pollution.
Polluted stormwater degrades our lakes, rivers, wetlands and other waterways. Nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen can cause the overgrowth of algae resulting in oxygen depletion in waterways. Toxic substances from motor vehicles and careless application of pesticides and fertilizers threaten water quality and can kill fish and other aquatic life. Bacteria from animal wastes and improper connections to storm sewer systems can make lakes and waterways unsafe for wading, swimming and fish consumption. Eroded soil is a pollutant as well. It clouds the waterway and interferes with the habitat of fish and plant life.
A sanitary sewer system and a storm sewer system are not the same.
Water that goes down a sink or other inside drain flows to either a wastewater treatment plant or to a septic system for treatment. Storm sewer flows are not treated. Water that flows down driveways, streets, and outside areas and into a storm sewer or ditch flows directly to the nearest creek, fish and wildlife habitats, downstream recreational areas, and drinking water supplies.
Other MS-4 Resources
CNY Regional Planning & Dev.
Oswego County Dept. of Solid Waste
New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation
New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation Stormwater
New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation MS4 Toolbox
United States Environmental Protection Agency-Stormwater Program-Office of Wastewater Management
United States Environmental Protection Agency-Stormwater Basic Information
United States Environmental Protection Agency-Stormwater Discharges from Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s)
TAKE THE CNY STORMWATER SURVEY
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2018 Village of Central Square
Website by Step One Creative
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MS4 Annual Report (March 2019)
MS4 Annual Report (March 2020)
MS4 Annual Report (March 2021-22)
Download: Central Square 2021-2022 MS4 Annual Report NYR20A403_Optimized (ID 2618823) (1).pdf
MS4 Annual Report (March 2022-23)
Download: Central Square MS4 Annual Report 2022_2023 Flattened (ID 2895868).pdf
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