Village staff warns MS4 stormwater requirements will increase work and training needs

A village staff member responsible for the municipal stormwater program reviewed the village’s MS4 (municipal separate storm sewer system) permit activities and told the board that the next permit years will substantially increase monitoring, mapping and reporting obligations.

The staff member described six program areas in the permit: public education, public involvement, illicit discharge detection and elimination, construction site controls, post‑construction stormwater controls, and municipal housekeeping and pollution‑prevention. He said the village’s existing mapping of catch basins needs GIS upgrades, that staff must inventory monitoring locations and sample outfalls, and that post‑construction treatment systems (for example at the Apex Building and Con Edison sites) require annual inspection and recordkeeping.

He warned that years 3–5 of the permit ask for substantially more documentation and field work and said the village will need to lean more on consultants and DPW staff for sampling, construction oversight and post‑construction inspections. The staff member indicated he is currently the only certified inspector in the village and recommended additional training for newer employees.

Board members asked which consultant the village uses; the staff member said the firm formerly called FrolTel Engineering has supported mapping and will assist with training and mapping efforts going forward. Another member raised winter runoff and road‑salt impacts on sampling and said the increased fieldwork will require more paperwork and labor.

Next steps: staff recommended scheduling consultant support and DPW training and completing the state MS4 report submission by the April 1 deadline.