GaryHammond, P.E., Stormwater Official Public Contact
Gary Hammond, P.E.
Stormwater Official Public Contact<br/>Stormwater Management Program Coordinator

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Telephone:
607-687-0302

56 Main Street
Owego, NY 13827

Main Phone:
607-687-8257
Fax:
607-223-7081

Stormwater is rain and snow melt that runs off surfaces such as rooftops, paved streets, highways, and parking lots. Stormwater carries sediment, oil, grease, nitrogen, phosphorus, and other pollutants into storm drains and then, untreated, into nearby waterbodies. Because most stormwater drainage systems provide no treatment, preventing contamination of stormwater is crucial to ensure that pollutants do not enter waterways. Improperly managed stormwater runoff is also a leading cause of flooding, which can lead to property damage, cause road safety hazards, and clog catch basins and culverts with sediment and debris.

According to the federal law commonly known as Stormwater Phase II, permits are required for stormwater discharges from Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s) in urbanized areas and for all construction activities nationwide (both inside and outside of MS4 areas) that disturb one or more acres. The Department of Environmental Conservation administers and enforces MS4 regulations in New York State.

MS4 regulated municipalities must prepare and implement a stormwater management program to comply with state and federal stormwater regulations. Watersheds and separate sewer systems cross municipal boundaries so a collaborative effort to address local stormwater issues saves time, money and energy. As a result, our 15 regulated MS4s (13 municipalities and two counties) entered into an agreement to form the Broome-Tioga Stormwater Coalition (BTSC) and work together to address local stormwater issues and meet the state and federal stormwater requirements.  Please visit the Broome-Tioga Stormwater Coalition's official website for more information.

Tioga County's MS4 jurisdictional area is limited to Pennsylvania Avenue in the Town of Owego and the DPW Facility in Catatonk.  Please contact Gary Hammond, Tioga County DPW Commissioner, to report and observed incident of stormwater pollution in the stated areas.

Please browse the Document Library below to access many MS4 Stormwater resources, including the Tioga County and Town of Owego's current Stormwater Management Program Plan.  

  

The BTSC has also developed an educational campaign "Water from Rain".  You may have seen the television commercials or listened to the radio advertisement.  Please visit www.waterfromrain.org to see how you can help to reduce stormwater pollution.

 

 

 

 

  MS4 Stormwater Documents

Where does rainwater end up that flows down into storm drains lining our roads? How is this stormwater runoff connected to the quality of our drinking water? Educating the public on this important issue is one goal of the Broome-Tioga Stormwater Coalition’s (BTSC) Stormwater Program. Each year the BTSC reports on its progress in achieving these goals through our Annual Report.


On Thursday May 27th, the Broome-Tioga Stormwater Coalition invites the public to comment on the Annual Report and stormwater program activities and initiatives. The public meeting will take place via Zoom at 10am https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9721419816 Meeting ID: 972 141 9816


A digital copy of the report will be posted at www.BroomeTiogaStormwater.com. For more information on the Broome-Tioga Stormwater Coalition, contact the BTSC Chair, Beth Lucas (Broome County Planning) at 607-778-2114.


In most of the Greater Binghamton region, storm sewer infrastructure conveys untreated rainwater from our roads directly to the Susquehanna River. In other words, contaminated runoff could lead to contaminated drinking water. The BTSC’s Stormwater Annual Report illustrates progress made on reducing pollution and contamination in stormwater by conducting various activities categorized in 6 major areas: Public Education and Outreach, Public Involvement and Participation, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Construction Site Stormwater Runoff Control, Post-Construction Site Runoff Management, and Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations.

The public is an important part of achieving the BTSC’s goals for protecting water quality through proper stormwater management. Residents can help protect water quality by cleaning up after pets, preventing oil leaks from vehicles, properly disposing of trash, and reporting illegal dumping, among other things. For more information on how residents can help keep our waterways clean, please see www.waterfromrain.com. Information about the BTSC is available on our website, www.BroomeTiogaStormwater.com.