![]() ![]() Meanwhile, staff continues the day-to-day operation and maintenance of existing infrastructure to meet expectations of residents and business owners. However, the water quality regulations drive an expansion of the Township’s list of capital stormwater projects. To reduce the cost burden locally, the township has been successful in obtaining grant funds important to support construction of Best Management Practices (BMPs) that target pollutant reduction in stormwater flows. Abington’s water quality challenges include compliance with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (PADEP) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit (renewed in March 2018) and the Wissahickon Creek Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). In addition to capital projects to mitigate the impacts of floodwaters in the community, the Township is addressing another wave of stormwater challenges from the requirements of Pennsylvania water quality regulations. Once finalized the plan will be available on this page. A link to the Stormwater Management Plan will be provided upon completion in late summer 2022, after public review and opportunity for comment. The Stormwater Management Plan is presented in two parts: (1) the two drainage area studies, providing information on details of the hydraulic and hydrologic modeling, alternatives evaluated, and the preferred alternative identifies by staff and (2) the current and future operational evaluations including a 10-year cost assessment along with funding options. The study evaluated the current operational processes such as administration, customer service, engineering, conveyance operation and maintenance, flood reduction and preparedness, municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) discharge permit activities, capital investments and cost of operations. Over the past three years, the Stormwater Management Plan evolved, addressing not only the stormwater management program components but to include two neighborhood flood mitigation studies for Keswick and Huntington Valley Shopping Center drainage areas. ![]() The Plan is expected to be complete in late summer of 2022. A request for proposals was issued and Wood Environment and Infrastructure, Inc. The study outcome is a comprehensive look at the current and future stormwater management operations and challenges for Abington Township. This work also helps address stormwater challenges from the requirements of Pennsylvania water quality regulations such as compliance with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (PADEP) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit (renewed in March 2018) and the Wissahickon Creek Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) from the unfunded Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems (NPDES) protocol.ĭue to increasingly more stringent PADEP requirements under the MS4 program, the Township leadership in early 2019 identified the need to review current stormwater system management practices, challenges, regulatory pressures, drainage system performance, and flood impacts from hurricanes as well as more routine storm events. These projects, coupled with the day-to-day stormwater infrastructure operations and maintenance activities performed by Public Works and Construction Services crews, and participation in the Wissahickon Clean Water Partnership, exemplify the Township’s continuing commitment to water resource management. The Township converted these areas into parkland to be enjoyed by residents and has issued bonds for $3M to $4M every few years to protect property, infrastructure, and the environment from flood waters and threats to water quality. In 2003, the Township purchased dozens of homes in the floodplain by successfully matching $7M of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds using $1M of Township funds. Abington Township has a successful track record of addressing flood-related stormwater issues by making investments in floodplain restoration and stormwater control projects.
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