Stormwater Management Program (SWMP)

Under Phase II of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System NPDES) stormwater program, operators of regulated small municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) require authorization to discharge stormwater under an NPDES permit. The Town of Belmont has been identified as being located within an Urbanized Area, as identified by the latest Decennial (2000) census and has been designated as a community that will be regulated by this program. For Massachusetts the Phase II NPDES stormwater program will be administered by EPA’s Region 1 Office with assistance from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. To meet the requirements of this program the Town will seek to obtain coverage under EPA Region 1’s NPDES General Permit for Stormwater Discharges.
 
To obtain coverage under EPA’s General Permit, the Town must develop, implement and enforce a storm water management program (SWMP). The SWMP will be designed, to the maximum extent practicable, to reduce the discharge of pollutants from Belmont’s storm sewer system; to protect water quality, and to satisfy the water quality requirements of the Clean Water Act. As required, the SWMP identifies Best Management Practices (BMPs) with measurable goals to address each of the six minimum control measures established by EPA. The minimum control measures are as follows:
  1. Public Education and Outreach
  2. Public Involvement and Participation
  3. Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
  4. Construction Site Stormwater Runoff Control
  5. Post Construction Stormwater Management in New Construction and Redevelopment
  6. Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations
To obtain coverage under the General Permit the Town must submit a Notice of Intent (NOI) to EPA Region 1 and the Massachusetts DEP. The NOI provides information pertaining to the permit applicant, including the applicant’s eligibility for a General Permit and identifying all receiving waters within the community. In addition, the NOI provides a summary of and implementation schedule for the Town’s SWMP. Additionally, the Town must give special consideration to and meet eligibility requirements for their discharges to be able to apply for coverage under EPA’s . Eligibility will be determined based on three categories, Endangered Species Act (ESA), National Historic Preservation Act and Water Quality Impaired Waters. The Town must confirm that it is eligible for coverage under the General Permit by establishing that discharges from its storm drain system do not adversely impact to endangered species, critical habitat and historic properties. In addition, the Town must identify all receiving waters that have been classified as Water Quality Impaired Waters by the MA DEP. Although not specific items addressed in the SWMP, special consideration has been given to these areas of concern in the development of the SWMP.

Town Of Belmont Committees And Commissions

Arlington Belmont Cambridge Tri-Community Group
 
The Tri-Community Group was formed out of a shared concern for the serious impact that surface flooding and sewage backflows have in each community.
 
Sewer/Stormwater Advisory Committee
 
The Sewer/Stormwater Advisory Committee was established by the Board of Selectmen in response to the increasingly severe problem of flooding and sewer back-ups in the Town.

Town Of Belmont Projects

Town of Belmont/MWRA Private Inflow Removal Project
 
The purpose of this project is to improve the performance of the sanitary sewer system by relieving the burden of clean water flows that are added to the system during wet weather/ high ground water conditions. A project overview is available here:
 
308 Water Quality Sewer Rehabilitation Program
 
The purpose of this project is to improve the quality of water in the Town’s receiving waters. These waters include Little Pond, Winn’s Brook and Blair Pond. A project overview is available here:
 

Other Relevant Information

 

EPA and DEP Stormwater Links
 
The United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection have lots of information on Stormwater Management.  Check out these links:
Charles River Watershed and Mystic River Watershed Links
 
The Charles River Watershed and Mystic River Watershed organizations also have information on Stormwater Management.  Check out these links: