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Newburgh advances MS4 mapping, staff training and new software to improve stormwater oversight
Summary
Board members were updated on in-house GIS storm mapping, wet-weather outfall screening requirements, regional training and a forthcoming Novo management system; staff and the wastewater superintendent are evaluating combining MS4 work with wastewater operations to improve capacity.
Town staff told the Storm Water Management Board on March 30 that the town is making several operational changes to improve MS4 compliance and the management of stormwater infrastructure.
Riley and Morgan from the sewer department have entered the town’s storm sewer facilities into the department’s GIS system, saving thousands of dollars by doing the mapping in-house, Flamion said. Once mapping is complete, staff plan to conduct wet-weather screening of outfalls — a state MS4 requirement — before the end of the year and are attending regional training this week in Chandler with an Evansville MS4 partner.
The town will also roll out a new internal management system, Novo, to centralize complaints, inventories and work orders and provide GIS-linked reporting. Staff characterized the forthcoming system as a major improvement in how the town tracks inlets and outfalls and manages repairs.
Operational changes discussed include exploring whether MS4 responsibilities could be managed within wastewater operations; Russell, the superintendent of wastewater, has attended training sessions and is engaged in planning. The board also noted the current street superintendent is retiring and the town is revising job descriptions to include more MS4 work when it reposts the position. The town attorney and staff said they are talking with personnel about restructuring to create a superintendent of public works model that could oversee sewer, stormwater and roads.
Staff also warned the board that state and federal audit risk is increasing; they cited a 20–25% chance the town could undergo both a state audit and a federal audit in the near term and urged preparedness for additional reporting requirements.
What the board asked staff to do: continue GIS mapping, complete the wet-weather screening plan, proceed with Novo implementation and report back on staffing and restructuring options. These operational steps feed into the larger funding conversation, since clearer asset inventories and condition assessments will be needed to prioritize capital projects.
Sources: staff presentations and meeting discussion as recorded in the March 30, 2026 transcript.
