Pollution Prevention / Good Housekeeping

This final component of the SWMP mandates that York County reduce pollutants entering the storm sewer system and receiving waters from County facilities and operations.  Storm sewer systems need maintenance to ensure that structures within the storm sewer that are meant to reduce pollutants do not become sources of pollution. Regularly maintaining catch basins and cleaning storm sewer pipes prevent the accumulation of pollutants that are later released during rain events as well as blockages, backups, and flooding.  This program component includes employee training to appropriate County Directors, Managers, Supervisors, and Field Staff on minimum measures and BMPs to prevent and reduce stormwater pollution from County and Municipal activities.   These activities included park and open space maintenance, building maintenance, fleet maintenance, stormwater system maintenance, new construction and land disturbances.

According to the NPDES Phase II regulations, the operator of a regulated MS4 community must develop a pollution prevention/good housekeeping program to:

• Prevent or reduce the amount of stormwater pollution generated by county/municipal operations and conveyed into receiving waters,
• Train employees on how to incorporate pollution prevention/good housekeeping techniques into county/municipal operations,
• Identify appropriate best management practices and measurable goals for preventing or reducing the amount of stormwater pollution generated by county/municipal operations.
• Prioritize County owned and/or operated storm water management systems/structures and implement a maintenance schedule.
• Develop a set of pollution prevention measures that, when applied during municipal O&M activities, will reduce the discharge of pollutants in stormwater Municipal operation and maintenance activities to be considered include but are not limited to pavement and rights-of-way maintenance, bridge maintenance, cold weather operations, and municipally sponsored events.
• Inspect and maintain, wherever and whenever necessary, all municipally-owned or maintained structural stormwater controls.
• Maintain all municipally owned green infrastructure practices through regularly scheduled maintenance activities.