Pennsylvania is home to many firsts in our nation: hospital, zoo, oil well, turnpike, and our personal favorite – pretzel factory! There is a long and storied history of Pennsylvania industries such as coal and steel which were vital in transforming the US into industrial power that you see today.

Unfortunately, when you’re first at something, it usually means that you’ve been around for a long time! When a person gets older, their joints may ache; for an industrial or institutional facility, their infrastructure starts to break down or is found to be undersized from expansion.

In the March 27, 2018 Philadelphia Inquirer, an article citing a recent PennEnvironment report that found Pennsylvania as 2nd in the nation for the amount of industrial stormwater discharges in excess of their federal National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.

Over a 21-month period from January 2016 to September 2017, there were 633 instances where stormwater discharges exceeded NPDES standards. This is about more than environmental compliance; these discharges adversely impact our surface waters through the discharge of pollutants into our streams and rivers.

Why is this happening?
In Pennsylvania, many of our industrial and institutional facilities are older (firsts). During the design and planning of these facilities, stormwater was not as vital of a concern as it is now; subsequently the stormwater designs were often undersized.

Additionally, this aged infrastructure is breaking down and not functioning as it was originally intended. In addition to stormwater discharges, this break-down of infrastructure can also lead to flooding or damage to the industrial or institutional buildings themselves.

In order to maintain the proper functioning of the stormwater system of our great institutions and industries, we need to manage our infrastructure. This process includes an evaluation of the existing conditions, regular inspections, and planning/budgeting for repairs and facility upgrades.

CEDARVILLE has a staff of experienced professionals that can manage your stormwater program, maintaining environmental compliance and protecting our surface waters. Call us today at 610-705-4500 or email info@cedarvilleeng.com.

By Steve Dadio, CPSS/CPSC